judydanielle's Profile

I was a holdout for awhile, too, but I eventually decided to buy a portable too. My kids watch almost no TV at home because I think they should be active, but when they're stuck in the car for 6 or 8 hours there isn't a lot they can do anyway. I don't think watching a movie is going to hurt them in that case because they're literally stuck to their seat anyway. But we try not to rely on movies the whole way. We do car games, sing, read books, color, etc. And, I agree that this should only be for long trips, so the portable DVD player stays in the garage unless we are taking a long drive (more than 2 hours in our case).

I have been working from home since before my oldest child (now almost 4) was born. When she was about 4 months old, we hired a nanny to watch her while I was working. You are right; the kids do know you are home, and they do want to come see you. I work in my bedroom when the kids are in the house (I used to have a home office, but now it's a bedroom for my second child), and I keep the door closed when I am working. If I leave it open, they do come in, and then it's very hard to get them to leave. Also, if your child cried when you left the house for work previously, he/she may cry every time you come in and out of the room if you are working in a home office. I actually pack a lunch to work from home -- this always gets a big laugh from my friends -- because, if I come downstairs, I have to go through another big good-bye transition the same as I did in the morning when I went into my office. Yes, it is hard not to come running when you hear them cry, but if you have someone you trust watching them (which it sounds like you must since this nanny has worked for you for awhile), it is easier. I actually turn on my iPod as much as I can when working (part of my job is writing, so when I am writing a magazine article or something like that I can't really concentrate enough with the music going). With the music on, I don't hear any of the crying, etc. It's also a good idea to talk to your nanny about how this will work when you are home -- she will likely have questions, too, about whether or not you will be involved with things since you are close by, etc. It is an adjustment for the nanny, as well, to get used to having the parent home while he/she watches the kids. She will want to know if there are times you want her to involve you in situations, etc. And, she will want to know if there are times she can expect you to be coming in and out of the picture. I very rarely got involved with ours (she has since moved away, and now I only work part-time with no child care), but there were a few instances when situations were really bad or the kids were sick that I helped. So it's good to talk about that with your nanny and any questions he/she may have up front. Working from home can be a challenge but it's very rewarding, too. Good luck!