Yes, I Work at Home. Yes, I Can Dog-Sit…
May 29, 2009 by Allison Boyer
Filed under Jobs
Without a doubt, one of the worst things about freelancing is that other people don’t “get it.” I love my family and friends, but few of them actually understand that I work just as hard – if not harder – than someone with a 9-to-5. I’m a small business owner.
Image: sxc.hu
And it’s degrading when someone thinks that my time isn’t as valuable as their own. Yes, I have flexibility in my schedule, but that doesn’t mean I can dog-sit, watch you kids, or otherwise take time out of my day to do things for you. My time is spent working.
That said, I think that some freelance writers are getting a bit up in arms about the issue. I understand as well as anyone how annoying it can be for people to think that you can just drop what you’re doing to run errands for people…but at the same time, there are many instances where you CAN drop what you’re doing to help someone out.
It can be a slippery slope. You don’t want others to walk all over you. Compassion is important, though. When someone in your life needs help, be realistic about whether or not you can help. It’s a form of networking. For example, I dog-sat for my aunt for a week while she was on vacation. Later, when she was getting rid of some of her beautiful pieces of jewelry, I was the first person on her mind to get one of her necklaces.
We do this job, in part, because we get to be flexible with our days. It isn’t fair to later complain that we have a strict schedule and can’t change things around a bit to help someone out. Again, you don’t want people to start taking advantage of you, but unless you have a major deadline, consider being a friend. Karma, baby.
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What a timly email. You have no idea how much time I have spent of late fielding daily, multiple phone calls from people who don’t “get” the fact that I am employed at home. Would they call me all day if I were in an office? No. While I love my friends and family and want to be available to them, it’s just gone too far. I have been thinking of sending out a nice email posting my new “offce hours,” and requesting that they not call during these hours unless it’s an emergency. I know this sounds mean, but I am at the end of my tether. I wonder how the rest of you handle this situation and am eager to read comments.
Oh my… I totally hear you loud and clear on this!
I’ve been working from home for two years, and everyone thinks my schedule is totally flexible and that I totally have it made.
Oh, and don’t even get me started on housework, lol… I always thought that once I started working from home, my house would stay clean. I was WRONG! It’s always a disaster, because my three year old and myself are here all the time. It’s become more like “maintaining the mess” than “cleaning the house.” LOL!
Thanks for this post — it’s good to know that I’m not the only one. Keep up the good work!
Lora Lee