I ran across the room as soon as the fax machine started making that piercing sound. After all, I had just put my cranky teething baby for a nap, so I rushed to turn off the machine. I wasn't going to let anything wake him up. I would, unfortunately have to call the client who had just been trying to reach me. I'd have to tell him to resend his fax after I remembered to turn the ringer off. This would cut into my work time a little, having to brainstorm with the client for a while, rather than taking advantage of the baby sleeping to get some work done.

What are the pitfalls of working from home and being a mother? It seemed like the best of both worlds. I could attend "Mommy and Me" playgroups, then spend significant time with my computer while my baby slept. All the baby books assured me that babies slept at some point, and I am a focused worker. Everything seemed to be on target except for two things: my baby was fussy and slept poorly unless I held him. Also, my primary client was fussier than my baby and required extensive time with me on the phone.

What are the pitfalls of working at home and being a mother? Not knowing who to put first, the client or the baby. The final straw came when he called me right after an extended conversation. I really had thought he was done and attended to my baby, who seemed to be feverish. Right in the middle of taking my baby's rectal temperature I heard the phone ring and the answering machine click on it was The Client, calling out, "Hello? Are you there? We just spoke... did you go out? Hello?" That's when I got tough.

It was my own fault that the client was taking up my time. I had to train myself to be an efficient consultant or else the same pattern would repeat with every client. My life grew much simpler when I informed my clients that I would only be working for them after 10:00 p.m. I'd be happy to take their faxes and e-mails during the day, but actual work would not begin before ten o'clock. That way my baby was down for the night (or with my husband) and I could focus on my work. This also eliminated lengthy "while we're on the phone..." type conversations with lonely clients.

What are the pitfalls of working at home and being a mother? Time management. I established set times each day when I'd return phone calls one per client. It forced all of us to become much more streamlined and focused in our work, which ultimately did us all good. I was able to create higher quality work and my clients found that their invoices were lower since I wasn't charging for all the interruptions.

My clients soon got used to the new schedule, and I became much more productive. I had learned to manage my time in small increments, which even let me get the house cleaned up on a regular basis. My baby, however, soon became a toddler. His naps changed from the morning to the afternoon, and just trying to keep up with him would wear me out, leaving me unable to get anything done while he was sleeping.

What are the pitfalls of working from home and being a mother? Trying to do everything the same way all the time. I had to train myself to mother more effectively. Outdoor play became the best option as my little one could run around in our fenced garden and blow off all the steam he wanted. This kept me from having to run behind him (as I had done in the house) picking up toys, wiping up spills, and just generally keeping him out of trouble.

Now my teenagers (yes, I have more than one) are easier to handle. After 15 years of working at home, I now mainly handle a few writing and editing jobs. With all the technological advances in those 15 years, I can now service clients whom I've never even met, which certainly saves me wear and tear on my car as well as gas money. And although my children can take of themselves now, I still prefer to do most of my work at night. That way, I can still work while my little ones sleep.