Back to School, Back to Work & Work from Home Tips.

For those of us who are lucky enough to have summers off, back to school also means back to work. Even if you are a full-time stay at home mom, back to school might mean volunteering at your child's school or working on some house projects you've been putting off all summer. I don't really have summers off from my home based business, LocalKidFun.com, but I did spend lots of time with the kids this summer so back to school means back to work for me too.

As much as I am looking forward to getting back to having more uninterrupted hours to work at home, I am also reminded that sometimes working from home can be lonely. Many people think working from home is a dream. It does have it's benefits, like being able to work in pajamas or in stinky work-out clothes, no commute, you can wash several loads of laundry while you work, etc. The main negative for me is the lack of human interaction. Even when I had a job where I talked to people all day on the phone, I missed having co-workers to chat with while getting coffee. You have no one patting you on the back and telling you what a great job you are doing. Many times you have to work twice as hard as people in the office just to prove that you are not slacking off at home.

If you think you would enjoy working alone and can be self-motivated, you still have to make sure that the actual work is right for you and your family situation. I once had a work from home job that wasn't a good fit because of the hours. In that job, I found my phone was ringing off the hook from people returning my calls while I was making dinner or helping the kids with homework. Spousal support was key in that situation, but eventually I ended up leaving that job for something that was less disruptive to my family.

While not every work from home job is a dream. I have learned several tips from my almost 7 years of working from home that may make it easier for you if you are considering that path. Please feel free to add more tips to the comments if you have them for the many people considering work from home situations.

Tip 1: Don't work near the kitchen. I actually just learned that one when I found out I gained a bunch of weight in the last year since I started LocalKidFun.com. Snacking is a big form of procrastination for me, so I need to put my work space as far away from the kitchen as possible. My husband works from our only home office so I have set up a desk in the corner of another room to keep myself away from the kitchen.

Tip 2: Know where you can find a reliable WiFi hotspot. My husband and I have both worked from our local library or a coffee shop when we just needed to get out of the house.

Tip 3: Set goals and write them down. It was easier to work from home when I had a boss or a team that made me accountable on those days where it's hard to be self motivated. Now that I don't have a boss to answer to, I hold myself accountable to my goals and give myself little rewards for reaching them. (Just don't make the rewards food related or you won't fit into your street clothes when you do leave the house.)

Tip 4: Make sure you have your own computer. I prefer my laptop, but a desktop is OK too. Just keep it away from the kids.

Tip 5: Keep a structured and reliable work schedule and communicate that schedule with family. If you do have to work outside of your normal work hours, make sure you're kids and family are aware of the change in advance so you won't get unexpected interruptions from them.

Good luck with back to school!