Work-at-Home Mom and Work-at-Home Dad

Last Updated on July 12, 2018

We’ve launched a new adventure in the Goyer home. My husband, John, has a new job and has started working from home. Since I work at home as an author, that makes two of us. Yet, even though we’re both at home, our “styles” are amazingly different.

1. Offices: Both John and I have offices. Just last month we moved into a new house that had two spaces for our two offices. His has been set up. Mine is mostly boxes still. Why? Because I’ve unpacked the kitchen, living room, bathrooms, and most of the kids’ stuff first. My office is an “add-on” to my work around the home. It is the last thing to get attention.
2. Schedules: John turns in a time card, and he has to work eight hours a day. I work when I have a babysitter for a few hours or when the kids are napping. (Of course, sometimes instead of working, I nap too.)
3. Responsibilities: Both of us have contracts and deadlines. Both of us do conference calls and Skype sessions. John works with a team. I work with numerous teams at publishing houses and with my own assistants. Work is work. The responsibilities are big.
4. Comparisons: I have to admit there have been a few days when I’ve wished I could trade with my husband—wished I could just slip into my office at 8 a.m. and emerge at 5 p.m. I’ve wished I could ignore the laundry, the cooking, and even the kids (for a time). It seems heavenly to have a whole day just to work.
5. Blessings: Of course I’m blessed that my husband’s job pays for the bills. I’m blessed he can take a short break to help out with kids, to have lunch with me, or to answer a question. I’m blessed that I can work from home … even if it looks different. I’m blessed there are days I choose not to work and go get a haircut instead. I’m blessed I can go to mid-week Bible study and I can chat with my mom when she calls. I’m blessed.

In our lives sometimes we are so busy comparing that we forget to look at the blessings. John’s schedule isn’t better than mine—it’s different. My schedule isn’t better—it’s different too.

Every new adventure we embark on as a family will bring challenges as well as rewards. The key is not to let those challenges discourage you. Thankfulness happens at Thanksgiving, but it’s also the way we should be living every day.

I’m thankful I can work at home. I’m thankful John can too. Even though our style of working at home may change, working together and making choices that benefits the family go a long way.