How to make working from home work for the whole family

It's spring break. The kids are loose from school. And I'm the world's dullest mother.

Unlike every other school family, we're not jetting off to Mexico, or visiting a theme park a day, because two members of this family have to work. The one trying to work from home also has kid duty. I make my children cheese omelets, then look them in the eyes and hold up two fingers: "Two hours," I say, "in my office, no interruptions. If you interrupt me for even one minute, add 15 minutes. Clear?"

They groan.

My kids call my home-office hours child abuse. Karin Abarbanel calls them boundaries. Abarbanel is co-author of "Birthing the Elephant: A Woman's Go-for-it! Guide to Overcoming the Big Challenges of Launching a Business" (Ten Speed Press, 2008).

According to Abarbanel, 2.5 million women start businesses each year, about two-thirds from home. Meanwhile, millions more in search of "balance" (hah!) have fled bona-fide offices to be virtual employees at home.

Of course, working from home has pluses — you get the best parking spot, bad hair days don't affect your work performance and you can defrost chicken without giving your family salmonella.

But there must be more to it. So this week, as my kids stretch their Gumby bodies over and under my desk, whining about how bored they are, and begging for attention or transportation or money — or all three — I grew curious about what tips Abarbanel gleaned in her research about how to make working from home work better. So I called her.

Create a dedicated space

Don't share your work space with unrelated tasks, and keep it from family traffic. This will help you — and those you live with — take your work seriously. A separate structure, like a converted guesthouse or pool house, is ideal. A room is next best.

If you don't have a whole room to devote, set up a folding partition to section off your work area. Don't even think about carving out a place in your kitchen, unless you're in the baking business.

Designs that work

Design the space so you enjoy it, without overspending on décor for appearance's sake. One entrepreneur Abarbanel interviewed, who now runs a multimillion-dollar firm, said when she worked from home, she didn't worry about what clients thought about her office. She used the local coffee shop as her conference room. Decorate slowly, as you can afford to. Once you close a big deal, reward yourself with a new office chair.

Even better, barter. Trade services for office upgrades. If you're a Web site designer, build a site for a carpenter in exchange for shelving. My neighbor, a graphic designer, created promotional ads for a painter, who faux finished her office in exchange.

Beware the blur

"The biggest challenge is the blur that happens between work and home life," says Abarbanel. Domestic details — calling the plumber, picking up dry cleaning, running a gym bag to school — can devour work time. To stay focused on your paying work, establish office hours and don't let household or family matters intrude. Get a separate phone line, and let personal calls go to voice mail.

Once you get out of step with the corporate culture, which makes you get down to business, you'll need to find your internal driver. If you don't have one, stay at the office.

Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson is the author of "The House Always Wins" (Da Capo), available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You may contact her through www.marnijameson.com.