When Guests Come to Stay...In Your Home Office

Having company come to stay is always exciting. While it means extra cleaning, straightening and a little more chaos in your life, it also means time to spend with friends and family. Before you became a work-at-home mom, the guest room was always the convenient spot for visitors to sleep. However, now that you are a work-at-home mom, chances are that the guest room also doubles as your home office. If you are going to be hosting friends and family for longer than a night, and need to get work done while they are in your home, the following tips can help.

Alternate Location
The easiest way to preserve your work space and accommodate your guests may be to relocate them to another area of the house. A finished basement, little used den with doors or even the room of a college student who is away at school are all great alternate locations. Do not hesitate to put guests in a different part of the house, even if they are used to staying in what was once only the guest room. If you are concerned about their comfort and want to give them a special place to stay, consider giving up your own bedroom and sleeping in an alternate part of the house yourself. While it may seem awkward to set up the inflatable bed in the basement, if it will give your guests some privacy and allow you to get your work done, the momentary awkwardness is well worth it.

In the Room
Another option is to let guests use the home office as a bedroom, but let them know that you will be using the space during the day to work. While this may seem ideal, because you will not have to move your workspace, it can actually be very uncomfortable if your guests want to nap or get changed. It can be difficult, not to mention embarrassing, to tell your conference call that you have to get back to them, because your mother-in-law needs to change into sweatpants. If your guests will be doing a lot of sightseeing during the day, you will not have this problem and co-existing in the room with your guests may be the best alternative.

Move Your Space
The final option is to move your work space. Pack up your laptop, unhook the printer and make a beeline for a quiet spot in the house where you can relocate your work area. This is not as difficult to do as it may seem, as today's computers are usually a lot less cumbersome than their predecessors. The most challenging aspect of this option is trying to find another location in your home that is conducive to working. High-traffic areas, such as the kitchen and family room, are probably not as good of choices as the basement or even the sunroom. Wherever you decide to move to, make sure that your work and electronics are secure from little hands and inquisitive eyes.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Article written by Alyssa Davis of Metal-Wall-Art.com - home of unique seabirds metal wall decor and butterfly metal decor.

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