The kids are all back to their various remote-learning options, but after each class they will come talk to me about it—something that on one hand I treasure, but on the other hand has gone well past the treasuring point. One single class = 20 minutes of frenetic play-by-play: what the teacher said; what fellow classmates said; what misunderstandings occurred; why they don’t know what assignments are due or when; how confusing the website is; how frustrating the online meeting glitches were; how frustrating it was not to be able to be unmuted, because Dad had a meeting at the same time, and how the child was apparently unable to figure out any way to communicate that fact to the teacher, and how the child and Paul were apparently unable to figure out ahead of time that this would be the case and make other arrangements. Then Paul comes downstairs on one of his twenty daily work-breaks to go talk to his wife about what’s frustrating HIM, how HIS online meeting platform is glitching, how HIS co-workers are being dumb, and to ask whether the mail is here yet. AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE
I can’t write without being interrupted. As soon as one person stops talking to me, the next person starts; as soon as the kids are tucked back in with fresh classes, I hear Paul’s footsteps. Or else I have to leave the room because someone has a meeting. Now that meeting is over, and someone else’s meeting starts in ten minutes, so I have ten minutes to do what I want in that room, but there are two people both trying to talk to me. Or else they’re standing behind me so they can potentially see me writing about them. Even if people aren’t talking to me, they’re talking to each other in the same room as me. And if they run out of things to tell me about work/school, they start trying to make me look at the cats, or they will read Reddit posts aloud, or they will QUOTE MEMES FROM MEMORY, IN RANDOM BATCHES. OH GOD, LEAVE ME ALONE
I have had to literally interrupt, saying “Pause!” cheerfully while pressing an imaginary pause button, so that I can GO TO THE BATHROOM, or so that I can continue through the door I was about to go through to get an ingredient for dinner / take something out to the mailbox / put something into the washing machine / put something on the shopping list / plug in my phone, as I was on my way to do when someone started talking to me. I have had to jot down on a notepad what I was about to do when interrupted, so that I can stop frantically trying to remember it while someone is talking to me.
Paul will seriously come stand next to where I am busily working at my computer and say, aloud, “Now, what was it I was down here for? Hm. Hm hm. Was it something with the…no. Or maybe…no. Let’s see, where did I put my phone? Oh, urg, did I remember to email Jeff about that thing?” I have started responding by thinking aloud, too, to let him see how delightful it is; if necessary I will start taking field trips to do it while standing next to him at his work computer. He will come downstairs to make his lunch, and every 20 seconds as he is making it, he will call out some unanswerable little thing to me (“Huh, this bag of chips isn’t as broken as usual!”), and want me to reply (“Huh!”). Then just enough silence for me to go back to what I was doing, and then another remark (“Not as many cars out there today!”) (Me, making a gigantic effort:”Huh! Wonder why!”). And his phone is set for LOUD notifications, so it goes “BING BING!!” several times per minute the whole time he is in my midst.
I will sit down with my lunch, and I will pick up my book and feel all contented, and someone will come in and really SETTLE IN to start talking to me.
Obviously we need some new systems to deal with this new situation, and I know we will develop them. This won’t just go on and on like this. But for RIGHT NOW I am running out of ways to say “Huh!” and “That sounds frustrating!” I am also COMPLETELY OUT OF EAR AVAILABILITY
YES so frustrating! At work we have an unspoken code of headphones – if they are on you don’t interrupt someone unless it is truly time-critical. My small children aren’t really capable of learning that code yet, but maybe you could make some kind of explicit signal for your family?
Oh, I was just coming to suggest headphones. Even if you’re not listening to something, they are a good signal that you’re busy.
Confession: I’ve been known to wear mine with absolutely nothing being played through them, but I use the fact I’m wearing them to look very distracted when someone talks to me, pretend I didn’t hear them at first, then do a loud sigh and hold one out from my ear and say in a slightly annoyed tone, loudly like I’m talking over something coming through them “Huh? What was that?!?”
Tripling down on the earphones suggestions. Extra points if they actually block the person you don’t want to hear rather than just “suggest” to the person that you are unavailable. I literally cannot hear my 6 and 11 year old when they are trying to talk to me while I am wearing mine, and they cost….$25. WELL worth the investment. I’ll send you a private email if you want the specific link where I got them. They have been a Game Changer.
The flip side of the headphone thing is that my husband will wear them totally as a signal that he is checked out, so if kids are fighting or I need something he will just sit there obvliviously with his headphones on and then have the gall to give an irritated little sigh if I require him to remove them for something. So, I guess if you are the one doing the irritated sighing and the ignoring they are wonderful but on the receiving end they make me feel murderous.
Oooo, I hadn’t thought of this table-turning possibility. I have never seen my husband with headphones on. In my case though I think I could call BS since he doesn’t have a job he can do from home. My headphone displays of irritation would easily trump his.
We are entering week five of virtual school (two kids in high school). The constant checking in is unbearable. My therapist had good advice — she told me that *I* am not attending high school, and I need to remove myself so the children have no choice but to engage with each other or their friends (via discord or FT or WHATEVER I DON’T CARE). I have gone out for drives at key times, listening to a podcast or audio book, to get myself physically out of the house so they can’t come find me to check in. Or if you have a laptop, even better! Park somewhere pretty and work there. I highly recommend this for about a week, it really helps.
What she said. I have one middle schooler and HS teacher husband. I’m working from home until my employer re-opens but we’ve been told that won’t be before Jan 2021, earliest. To that end, I hear at lunch and after the day is done about both sides of school. All the kid stuff about frustrations and weirdness and tech glitches AND ALSO the teacher stuff about kids Zoom bombing and admin being unreasonable and union grievances in-process (he’s a bldg rep) and…. I’ve just come off my own workday (I’m working the basement) with meetings and calls and emails. At 430PM, I want some silence but it is unobtainable in the house. Twice a week, I’m leaving the house over lunch to walk and one a week I’m going out for happy hour, alone, at places well-spaced outdoor dining options. I sit with a cocktail or coffee or whatever and read for an hour or so, and then walk home. If you don’t have much in walking distance, I second the car recommendation for working or simply to get away. Empathy and solidarity to you.
OH MY GOD YES. My office is on the main floor, so while I can close the door, it doesn’t stop my husband from wandering around to the OTHER DOOR that is merely an opening and not a closeable door, and just like… standing. Talking occasionally. Looking at his phone while he stands there. In the doorway. It sets me on edge and I can’t accomplish anything because it constantly feels like he’s about to say something. I’ve taken to saying through gritted teeth, “do you need something?” and that usually clues him in that he should leave, which he does. For five minutes.
When he is in the basement at his desk working, do I wander down there to idly say things that pop into my head? No. I respect his work and keep the toddler from bothering him. Which is another thing. He spends so much time on his phone while he’s supposed to be supervising the toddler that the toddler frequently escapes and runs into my office demanding my attention (and body, because he is a milk monster).
At least my mom is lending a hand with virtual kindergarten, so my 5yo (and her INCESSANT chatter) isn’t home for 6 hours of the day.
I cannot imagine being at home with 6 other people all day every day, and you have my sympathy.
Noise cancelling headphones. Anker has a fantastic set that is very reasonably priced. I have a set, my daughter has a set, and my son is getting one for his birthday. Peace at any price.
😂 huh! Wonder why!
Oh God I freakin love ya.
Headphones. And your own laptop, in your own cozy corner. With a sign that says, “Unless it’s vomit, blood, or fire, it can wait until _____ time”
Your work is important, too.
Just reading this stressed me out! I have no suggestions but endless sympathy.
I already jumped on the first headphone comment, but I will just say that I have a lovely shed. It has a desk and a couch that folds down into a bed, and a fan and the walls and floor are white, the ceiling is natural wood, and I have a turquoise rug on the floor. My wifi reaches it. It has been a GODSEND during this pandemic. My teen slept in it all summer. During the day I’ve used it as a retreat to do work or teleconference meetings, or just to read a book or listen to podcasts when the family togetherness has been Too Much.
Not looking forward to it getting too cool to have this option any more. I figure we’ve got a month left of daytime use at the outside, since it’ll only be one degree above freezing tonight and we’ve had to stop using it to sleep in already…
Quattro recommending headphones.
If you can’t write while listening to music to drown out ALL THE TALKING, I recommend this: https://mynoise.net/
Rain with audio blocker settings worked a treat in the Before Times vs. a very loud and friendly co-worker who used to take 2 hour French lessons from her ajoining cube. BONJOUR!!
Waterfall with extra watery splashy settings mutes my boyfriend watching WWII documentaries on YouTube two feet away from me so I no longer have to take a shot everytime the narrator says luftwaffe.
Also, if possible, teach everyone to respect the signage: https://emilymcdowell.com/products/snacks-pony-door-hanger
Very, very stressful. I work full time from home, my husband goes to the office, and we sent my 6 and 3yos back to their very small schools with what felt like decent safety protocols. They were at home with me for 5.5 months and I was LOSING MY MIND. However we are 3 weeks in and the first grader’s school has already had 1 positive student in another grade, 1 positive staff member, and now her TEACHER has been exposed (possibly to the staff member?). I feel at least one and maybe both kids will be home with me again soon.
All this to say, solidarity.
Headphones!!!!!! Not only will they soften the noise but they will make you look more busy/unable to interact with while you’re on the computer working!!
Me to my small children, “Mama’s ears are full. Go tell your sibling. That’s why I gave you a sibling.” 😂
Hahaha!
So much has been said these last months about the difficulties for working parents with kids at home, but you brought up a whole new issue: stay at home parents who can’t get anything done! You’re accustomed to being able to get chores and errands done when you want, and take breaks without interruption, and basically manage your own time without anyone hanging over your shoulder. And now you don’t have your own time! There are people there ALL THE TIME and they probably want things like lunches and snacks and help and attention.
I stayed home with my girls when they were small, and it would irritate me when my husband messed with my routine for even one afternoon. Having my routine interrupted every day for months on end would have driven me bananas. You have my sympathies!!
YES!!!!! I am a stay at home mom and my kids have been home since March and school did not open in person. So they are still here. And I have zero of my own time. I’m my 4th graders secretary now, making sure he gets on all his Google Meets and then gets the work done in between those. My 7th grader and sophomore are at least more independent. I’m an introvert though and so that doesn’t help!
Oh I feel this post in my bones. Making things worse is that with the forest fires our air quality is so awful that we can’t go outside so now we’re all inside all the time 24/7 together! Also H and I work 2 feet from each other and he has 10,000,000 (approx) zoom calls per day while my job requires time to read, research, and think quietly. We can’t move our work spaces as our house is completely full up. I’ve got noise cancelling headphones but end up having to take them off every 10-15 minutes when someone in my family “needs” to talk to me. I love my family but MY GOD JUST STOP TALKING TO ME, AROUND ME, NEAR ME! *pant pant pant* I know I’m incredibly fortunate to still have a job and not have had my home burn down but I still feel like I might lose my mind before we can go outside again.
“Ear availability” 😂 I feel for you! I’m not in the same situation but I finally have some free time 3 mornings a week as oldest is in school f/t and youngest is in preschool. This morning my husband stayed home to listen to a webinar and as he came out for a break said about 3 times “what are you going to do with yourself these mornings?!” As if I’m going to be lying around relaxing when I do contract work that can be completed at these times instead of at night when the kids have gone to bed. Never mind the endless chores that mostly I do. Anyways, even without those things sometimes you need a mental break to yourself! He can go to his office or do anything basically whenever he wants whereas I am the default caregiver. Geesh! Sorry for the rant, it’s nice to have some peace and quiet sometimes 🙂
OMG. YES YES YES YES YES YES. All the time YES.
everyone with a comment similar to this, please accept this as a reply to you as well. I thought it might be overkill to type agreement so many times. But I see you, and I so feel you, and I am SO LUCKY and also miserable at the same time.
Also, one or both of my children insist on having meltdowns one or more times per day (usually not at the same time, they take turns! which is both nice and awful as well). I fully get that all of this sucks and there’s not separation or place to go with your feelings and your frustrations and you’re young and ALL OF IT. But also, SHUT UP, no one’s life is a bed of roses right now. Each and every member of this family, besides me, has carved out a space for themselves with a desk and they can go and be alone…if I do this? EVERYONE comes looking for me.
The other day, the kitchen was literally empty while I did yoga. I finished, went in to make my breakfast and everyone else decided “Oh, I need to eat now too.” and wedged in there. There were 45 minutes when all y’all were here and KNEW I wouldn’t be in the kitchen. GET OUT.
So I’m doing great. And the decline of sunlight and vitamin d will have zero detrimental effect at all, I’m sure.
The end.
Oh, my good woman. I have no helpful advice at all, but I am living this.
My kid spent lockdown at home and is now back in daycare (still intensely conflicted about this). My husband started working from home with the pandemic. I have been work-from-home since before he and I met. His job, based on pandemic observations, does not require the same level of sustained concentration that mine does, nor are his deadlines actually deadlines in the same way that mine are. (He misses them routinely; I can’t. If I missed a deadline without a house-burned-down level excuse, I would lose clients.) He comes around to tell me So Many Things throughout the day, and I think 0.0003% are actually things I needed or wanted to hear in that moment.
There are many times when I want to tell him that if he wouldn’t call me from the office to tell me about it, he needs to not come around to tell me whatever it is in the middle of the workday. I haven’t done so because it would not be great for any relationship to tell the other person to buzz off like that. But if there was a nice way to do so….
I would love to hear strategies about talking to husbands about this. I tend to bottle it up and then when I do say something it comes out in a flood of rage and accusations and he gets all hurt. But then sometimes when I say something about little stuff it seems like it should be no big deal and I seem like I’m nagging. Actually, your phrasing of “if he wouldn’t call me from the office to tell me about it…” seems pretty nice and reasonable to me, especially delivered as a reflective request and not in the heat of frustration.
I also like that phrasing a lot! It gives a clear boundary for what is acceptable to to share, and what needs to be left until after the workday is over.
I say a lot of – I need to focus right now, please don’t interrupt – to my DH.
Hahaha! oh thank you, you’re brilliant.
My husband narrates his fascinating inner life all. The blessed. Time. Also is unreasonably taken by the local traffic, status thereof, busyness of lane, brightness/darkening of evenings, weeding of driveway etc etc. He part times as a world class impossible question asker, as in: now what was I going to say?
Arggg. My head explodes, I tell you.
Last week, I locked the bathroom door so I could POOP BY MYSELF! My daughter rattled the door handle and then knocked to see if she could come in. Um, no. She then drew me a picture of… me sitting on a toilet with her and her brother KNOCKING on the door. She pushed it under the door while I was sitting there in case, you know, I maybe didn’t have a full grasp of what was happening. WTH?
I’m saving the picture as a COVID 19 momento.
Oh, my husband reads signs out loud as he is driving and then chuckles. Bagels. Chuckle. Express wash. Chuckle. Dunkin’ Donuts. Chuckle. It. Is. NOT. Funny. He wonders why I want to drive on road trips…. I don’t know honey, so I don’t wanna kill you, perhaps?
The story of the locked-out pooping picture has absolutely killed me.
I’m sorry if this non sequitur comes across as an interruption, but I’m not on Twitter and want to reply to your tweet about outdoor/distanced flu shots. Our pediatric and family medicine clinic is doing drive through shots… like you stay in your car and they come out with the tray of needles and bandaids. Our appointment is Thursday. And by our I mean myself, hubby and our two small children. I am a little concerned that after this the two year old won’t want to get in the car again, but fortunately she doesn’t really go anywhere anymore.
Swistle, this is the worst. And the part where you feel like you SHOULD listen thoroughly and enthusiastically because these are your beloved family members??? But you can’t because your brain cannot possibly hold any more information??? And also you need some TIME to YOURSELF, just a solid half hour would do a WORLD of good, but apparently time in now chunked into two- to five-minute segments, long enough for you to maybe remember what you were planning to do/think about but not to ACTUALLY do/think about that thing??? And also the part where your spouse sitting at a computer = work but YOU sitting at a computer = definitely interruptible/not work??? IT ALL SUCKS.
I told H just the other day that I feel like I’m getting early onset Alzheimers because I can’t hold on to information for more than 5 minutes. Constant interruptions = constantly recreating where I was in my thought process, starting to get going again, and then getting interrupted again (rinse and repeat).
Here on the OTHER end of the spectrum, I have a high schooler and a middle schooler who do Zoom-school in their rooms and NOBODY talks to me. Ever. They like to stay squirreled away up there. While in one sense this may sound like paradise to those lacking ear availability, it also means having to drag information out of them about their assignments. Because, of course, the countywide app for our online school (Canvas, if you’re interested), is completely inconsistent and doesn’t show everything in one place and it is incredibly hard to keep track of anything on the parent end. Shouldn’t they be keeping track by themselves at that age, you say? In theory yes! And they could, if Canvas was consistent and showed everything in one place! BUT NO.
I’m on your end of the spectrum, too. And I can’t tell whether to be jealous of this problem or relieved. And yes, why are platforms made for keeping track of school assignments so bad at keeping track of school assignments??
I work in Academic Technology at the University level, and we use Canvas, and my kids are doing distance learning with SeeSaw and Google Classroom, and what I will say from my POV is that the tool is only as good at doing that as the person who set it up is at understanding how it works from that side. Instructors at all levels tend to focus on making things easy to understand from their viewpoint, but they have very little understanding of what the student experience is, and many haven’t spent the time getting to know the learning management system in advance (for a variety of reasons) and so are panicked about just getting stuff in and posted – they aren’t able to think higher level about it.
I have FEELINGS about this, but they are complicated so I don’t want to get into it too much here. Just know that while yes, each tool has it’s idiosyncrasies and things, much of the student experience is controlled by how instructors set up their courses; not by the LMS itself.
THE SYSTEMS. My husband and I, while old, are what I thought was reasonably technologically literate. Until this school year. I cannot understand why it requires six separate systems for the children to access their schoolwork. IT IS ALL ONE DISTRICT. And I’m not even getting into the various websites where they have ad-hoc activities. The kids can’t keep track, I can’t help, and we’re all losing our tenuous grasp on sanity, one Infinite Campus notification at a time.
Oh no!!!! I’m feeling SO grateful for our concise Seesaw platform. Literally everything in one app with a separate login for parent and student.
yes, same, Jennifer B, with the same ages. Also, the cats used to hang out in my office when I was the only one home, but even they have been spending time elsewhere (lots of laps/companionship to choose from)!
But I much prefer this to the scenario in Swistle’s original post. I like the idea of being unavailable — running errands or just leaving with a book and a drink.
Haven’t read the comments yet, but I’m to a point where I tell people I’m on a call, regardless of whether or not that’s true. Maybe tell your fam you’ve taken a wfh telemarketing job… ;-) Good luck to you all as you figure out this latest phase of 2020.
I look forward to virtual school posts and comments from this group. For us it’s hard but not impossible but I do feel completely shell shocked at 5 o’clock each day. There are moments every day where it DOES feel impossible but so far we’ve managed and sometimes it even feels good. So, again with the pandemic is like having a newborn comparisons.
My husband has been working from home since March. My daughter is in her last year of college, doing student teaching remotely. And I have just been told I’ll be working from home three days a week permanently going forward. I feel your pain.
Every day at 11:30, my husband gets up to fix himself lunch, and he listens to one of his political podcasts. Loudly. Then he reads me CNN headlines. I have TOLD him I already read them and please not to do that while I’m working. So now he says, “I’m sure you already read this,” AND THEN HE READS THEM TO ME ANYWAY.
I am converting a bedroom to an office, and I am going to have a lock on the door and work with headphones on. It’s the only way the marriage will survive. I won’t even start on my daughter wanting to describe every detail of her day. Which is so awesome, and YET…
OMG THIS IS MY LIFE.
The ONLY good thing about having the kids home is that my husband no longer watches Jerry Springer over his lunch hour, when he’s working at home. I have a 9 YO chatterbox who does schoolwork at the same kitchen table I work at. NOT ideal. I can’t imagine 4 more chatterboxes.
Ugh yes THANK YOU I SEE YOU AND FEEL SEEN
Oh Swistle I feel this! There are six of us in this not very big house (3 bed, 1 bath, 1 living area). They just want to always be where I am. Always. Always. Always.
What gets me is I have this conversation all the time:
“Mum I need x..”
“I’m in a call, can you ask your Dad?”
“No, he is working”
SIGH
My lockdown saviour was my Dad’s idea. He suggested implementing REST TIME after lunch. I insisted that everyone spent 1-2pm in their room laying on their bed. That was amazing because the whole house was quiet at the same time. Everyone barred up at first but after the first couple of times even the teenagers were on board. It made everyone’s day easier. That time suited the school schedule YMMV. The trick though is that it has to be simultaneous otherwise as scripture says The Wicked Shall Have No Rest.
My mother enforced quiet time as long as she had kids at home. Some of them were well into their 20s. It’s a brilliant idea. :)
Oh my god. What you’ve described is the hitherto unknown 10th circle of hell. I recommend headphones. A locked room. Long drives. Possibly locking Paul out of the house.
My husband has a home office, but he gets lonely so he wanders around the house on work calls. On speakerphone. And he shushes the rest of us. GO BACK TO YOUR OFFICE.
Ugggggh this is the worst. How have you not murdered anyone? You have my undying admiration for that.
When my husband was first working from home, every SINGLE TIME I sat down to read, he would talk to me. He wouldn’t talk when I WANTED someone to talk to me, like when I was doing something boring like chopping vegetables or folding laundry. No. As soon as I opened my book it would be like “blah blah blah look at this respond to this” – he’s gotten better, or I’ve gotten better at figuring out when he’s on calls…
I so relate. My kids are not that interested in talking about school but talking about food. And eating. And making messes. Then it is as if a bell has sounded and they disappear to class. I am here babysitting and extra sets of hands are helpful but Tank likes to you with one tot and see if he can lure him from the family room- even though he is trained not to leave there. Then they will holler at me to keep babies quiet. And the whistling might push me over the edge. A few kids like to whistle.
Early on in the pandemic, I used to fantasy-shop for a pied-a-terre in Manhattan because I thought of how nice it would be to escape to an open city (yeah, who knows when that will be, but certainly before I have a spare $600K lying around, so whatever) and do grownup leisure things by myself.
At this point I am data-gathering on continuing care communities for when the kids are out of college and my husband and I have both retired because it is clear to me that we cannot spend our golden years with me handling all the home maintenance (spouse has no practical skills and notices nothing) and me being my husband’s only social contact.
This, THIS, about being the spouse’s only social contact!! I have family, a nice number of one-on-one friends, a nice friend group, and all the online contact: I have LOTS of social options. Paul has…co-workers. That’s it. I don’t WANT to be his only friend.
YES, THIS INDEED! My husband is an introvert and we’d never get together with people – even people he really LIKES – if I didn’t initiate it. He has friends from his youth, but he never actually SEES these friends unless he happens to play hockey with them or I suggest calling them up. He has one friend (an ex-roommate of ours) he sees because he’s that guy’s ONLY friend and he shows up at my husband’s business with coffee for him and hangs out for a few minutes on a lot of mornings. And we don’t even LIKE him that much so if he didn’t put in the effort we’d have let him drop.
He was finally starting to connect with a couple of people unprompted and go out to pubs on the odd evening because they all coach their daughter’s hockey teams and our kids have been playing together a long time, but the pandemic put the kibosh on that: no interaction at bars for us anymore, and no kids’ hockey this year anyway.
I AM PRETTY MUCH IT for friends for my husband now! Augh!
Oh man this! Our retirement is going to be an unmitigated disaster if H doesn’t find some other social outlet besides me. When we’re done with Covid this is going to be a pressing and intense project bcs the alternative is … bad.
OMG – that would make me INSANE! You have my sympathy.
The Husband is only here at lunch (I still haven’t figured out why, he never came home for lunch before all of this), in the evening and on the weekends. By the weekend, I am actually welcoming Monday so that I will have a few hours of quiet from his incessant chattering.
LEGOS ON THE FLOOR. ALL AROUND YOU.
Alternatively, outside everyone’s doors then you get the whole house to yourself!
I’m late to the party here, but I want to recommend what we have discovered during this pandemic: The Therapeutic Drive. Sick of everyone? Hop in the car and go wandering. Want 30 minutes to listen to a podcast? This is The Way. You can even park at Target and people watch. I personally enjoy judging the people not wearing masks from the comfort of my minivan. My 18 year old discovered the Therapeutic Drivel, and he went out almost every day during April and May. I would check my Find My iphone app and see him 10 miles away out on a country road. Then I started doing it, too, and I totally get it.
I just remember years ago seeing a mom with a vacant stare, pushing a shopping car, and all four kids are talking to her at once. All well-behaved but all separate topics. I just laughed and thought that is Swistle’s EVERY DAY. And here we are again. Sigh.
I’ve mentioned that I think Kevin has a switch that notifies him if I’ve sat down to write. Suddenly he’ll appear with the ever-so-sigh-inducing “What are you doing?” And there’s the whole “Working from home doesn’t equal Call All The Time” My response has been a “Doing stuff” or putting him on speaker phone, which he doesn’t particularly enjoy. #passiveagressiveFTW
The office manager admitted to me the other day that she goes through the fast food drive-through then parks at work, eats and listens to whatever she wants to, then returns home. Genius.
Wouldn’t worry too much about the bigs. Imagine being on your own for one-three years then having to come back home. Ack, on second thought: let’s not. :)