stood in the doorway of my home office, face shining with a pregnant glow and making small talk about her day.  She made the comment from her Doctors visit, ‘They weighed me today!’  Now you ladies reading this know immediately, when a pregnant woman is about to boast of the fact that the Doctor weighed her, she is happy of her progress. 

This is the third child that my wife is carrying; her body is left with the traces of the previous pregnancies.  Yet, I view these traces with joy because of her sacrifice to bring forth the beautiful lives of our children.

The joy of being able to work from home with the sound of my two young boys in the background offers music to this father’s ears.  Balancing a work from home life with a family can be a difficult task that can leave you present, yet not present.  I have an open door policy when it comes to my little boys and wife because I want them to know that I am always around and can be accessible.  Yet she also respects when I am on a presentation call or training, to keep the boys quiet.

 In a work from home family there has to be a mutual support, love and respect of each others time.  I can be guilty of burying my head in my computer working and forget to come out to smell the roses.  Sometimes the smell of warm muffins in the oven will bring me out, (wait I digress).

To be present yet not present in a work at home environment, can be a strain on any family and it is important to remember that balancing quality family time will actually rejuvenate the joy for your work and build the support system around you for success.