I wonder if other women who work from home experience the fact that people think we don't work.

Friends and family often ask me what I'm doing on certain days. I'm like...what do you THINK I'm doing? I don't say that, but I feel like it!

We don't get any respect...

Duh -- yeah!
Even when I worked for a corporation and "worked at home" there was a perception I wasn't working!

I get it all the time from relatives especially the out of town crowd but once they come and visit they see, the phone rings off the hook, people are coming and going, the dog pound truck pulls in to drop off a dog needing a foster and so on and so on. By the time they leave they're shaking their heads saying, "woman take it easy, you're no spring chicken." I say "yea maybe but this 'old hen' can work rings around any spring chicken."

I agree, people think if you work at home, you are available at any time...not so!!!!

I'm pretty sure my family thinks I sit around watching Oprah and eating Oreo's....I'm pretty sure my publisher thinks the same thing! I'm constantly being called on to run a special errand, go on a trip, or just asked by THE SON when he gets in, "So ... what did you do all day?" I use to give him full details until I realized he wasn't listening and was walking away from me. So now I say something like, "Oh, me and Sam Elliott had a role in the hay, then I tried out for the Olympics, then Publisher's Clearning House dropped by with a million dollars, but I said nahhhh...no thanks." He continues walking down the hall and says, "that's nice Mom."

JJ

One guy I dated was very condescending about me working from home, among other things. He assumed I didn't work much and that my business trips were all fun, games and partying. When I corrected him, he basically accused me of lying, probably because that's what his business trips were. He didn't last very long.

Daisygirl

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. Part of it is my problem because I don't set enough boundaries. I'm getting better at that.

About a month ago, my sister had a couple hours before she had to be to work. She was nearby and called to see if I wanted to get lunch. It killed me to tell her I had to work and I couldn't come out and play, but I did it. My problem is that I like to do all the social things too.

Finding balance is tough.

I agree whole-heartedly! It's almost like everyone in my life has de-valued my time! My oldest daughter, who also works from home, is the only one that understands the value of time to a self-employed person. You waste time, you lose money. You don't keep up with your calendar, you lose opportunity. You fluff off a day on a whim you spend the next week working 12 hours a day instead of 10. People that have never tried working from home have no idea what pressure we put on ourselves to achieve and succeed. Just because I sometimes go for days without producing anything tangible, I am being productive. Try convincing anyone of that and they look at you like you've lost the few remaining marbles you were left with when you decided to strike out on your own to start!

Tami

You're all right on track! JJ, I've tried that with my family and get the same response -

It seems that when we work from home, people think we can drop our work whenever we want and pick it right back up again.

There are many times in my web design business that I have deadlines to meet. Then when someone calls to go for lunch and I can't, they get all huffy. They seem to think that I always make my own hours, but many times I can't.

But it IS awesome to work from home, and I wouldn't change it for the world! I worked as a director at a school for a few years and just hated the stress level, the red tape, the "pass the buck" attitudes.

At least when I have my own biz, I only have to answer to myself and my clients. I always know the status of every job and can give straight answers. Love it!

Kathy

After working form home for any length of time one becomes spoiled and it is near impossible to work outside the home after that or is it just me?