• Home
  • About
  • Around
  • Contributors
  • Applause

Daily Plate of Crazy

  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Love
    • Marriage
    • Divorce
    • Life After Divorce
  • Parenting
    • Advice
    • Babies and Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • College Kids
    • Single Moms
    • Older Moms
    • Dads
    • Family Dynamics
    • Money Matters
    • Work-Life
  • Health
  • Sex
  • Women’s Issues
  • Fashion & Style
    • Chaussures
    • Fashion
    • Style
    • Lingerie
    • Interiors
  • Culture
  • More
    • Art Art Art
    • Business
    • En Français
    • Entertainment
      • Mad Men
      • Mad Men Reviews
      • Real Housewives
      • Movies
      • Celebrities
      • Work of Art Reviews
    • Flash
    • Food & Recipes
    • Lifestyle
    • Morning Musing
    • Starting Over
    • Technology
    • Travel
    • Women and Money
You are here: Home / Parenting / Interruptions

Interruptions

March 28, 2013 by D. A. Wolf 12 Comments

Cranky. Cantankerous. Then downright pissy. That’s how I felt earlier this week, when interruptions, interruptions, interruptions came calling during my most productive hours of the day, and two days in a row!

When you’re in your groove and someone jostles your rhythm, don’t you find yourself tearing your hair out? And if you’re interrupted again, don’t you want to scream?

First, there was a friend on the phone in the middle of my morning writing. I was compelled to answer – she gets in touch rarely – and frankly, I was a little worried.

All was well. She just wanted to catch up.

Next… May we add the latest dynamic duo selling God door-to-door, dispensed with as quickly as possible?

More phone calls followed that I tried to ignore, but each potentially required handling. Then more knocking to encourage expletives a-plenty, as the neighborhood yard man was in the area – there for gutter cleaning which, while unplanned, is essential this time of year.

“Nice” versus Necessity

In fact, the yard man interrupted multiple times. He seemed to need to talk, he’s a nice man, and so I politely listened. I fetched him a drink to warm himself, and I extricated myself from the situation (with difficulty), feeling the day slipping away too quickly.

These unanticipated interruptions?

One of the most challenging aspects of working from home – precisely because you are at home.

At this stage I was two hours behind and stressed. I had two choices – spiral into more irritation or take a few steps back and adjust my own expectations. I chose the latter – (impressed with my maturity?) – and accepted that it would be a long night ahead – several long nights, in fact.

Time Management Challenges When You Work From Home

Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, the challenges of time management can be tricky when you do your job from a home office – and not necessarily in the ways you imagine.

You may possess superb powers of organization and concentration. You may have trained your children to respect your “office hours.” But that doesn’t exempt you from the spouse or partner who thinks you can run out and pick up the dry cleaning, or the neighbors who see your car in the driveway, or the yard guy, or the door-to-door wanderers, or even the friends who don’t quite comprehend that what you do in your home is Work Work Work!

Then, of course, there are the issues of relationship – not simple to manage if you work odd hours but your partner benefits from a more traditional schedule. This is the case in my life, and a source of constant negotiation… and guilt.

Parenting Interruptions… All Bets Off?

Occasionally in the middle of the day, there’s a call from one of my sons in college!

These moments are infrequent. They’re a surprise. They’re delightful. And short of being in conference with a client – I drop everything and go with the flow.

If I’m on deadline, I take the call, check to make sure that everything is alright, then say “I love you and need to call you back.” I deal with my tasks at hand, and return the call sometime in the evening.

If I’m talking to my Man and one of the kids calls, I take the call. It doesn’t happen often (they don’t call very often), but it does happen. The mothers I know understand, but I wonder at times if I’m offending my partner.

Interruptions, Priorities, Real World Constraints

If I don’t work, I can’t pay my bills. It’s a simple equation, no different for millions. What is different is where I work and the around-the-clockness of that particular effort. That sits in stark contrast to the man I date and his more predictable hours.

As a mother, and a single mother at that, I’ve been the sole responsible party for the day-to-day duties of raising my sons. It’s both habit and (now) pleasure to respond when I’m called upon. Since the arrival of Empty Nest, those occasions are far fewer, and to a large degree their calls are for connection.

My priorities feel essential to my survival, and in no particular order include: income, kids, sanity – and yes, relationship. There is never enough time, though I imagine we all feel that way.

Yet I worry that I may potentially hurt or offend friends, neighbors, or loved ones when they interrupt and I get annoyed.

  • How do you handle interruptions?
  • When you’re doing the interrupting, are you aware of it?
  • When you’re “put off” until later or the next day, do you take it personally?

 

You May Also Enjoy

  • Conflict of Interest
  • Door to Door, Selling God
  • Half




© D. A. Wolf

Share/Save/Bookmark

Big Little Wolf’s Daily Plate of Crazy

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

Filed Under: Parenting, Work-Life Tagged With: conflict, family, guilt, Relationships, Single Parenting, stress management, time management, work life balance

Comments

  1. Lois says

    March 28, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    I so needed to read this right now — well, maybe not right now because I should be writing a review for my paying job — because I can not seem to get any work done! I also work at home which people seem to think means I’m available at their beck and call at all times. I don’t have any answers for you but I definitely have the same questions. Thanks for making me feel not so alone in being overwhelmed.

    Reply
    • BigLittleWolf says

      March 28, 2013 at 12:12 pm

      Yes! Exactly, Lois! As for those in the neighborhood, I’m thinking that’s solvable by parking my car behind the house. But everyone I know knows that I work from home… So that issue isn’t so easily solved.

      Nope. You’re not alone! (And it’s especially tricky when you don’t work regular hours, or when you’re self-employed and you’re only paid when you deliver the goods!)

      Reply
  2. Gandalfe says

    March 28, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    I share an office at work with another manager. His people come in all morning asking where he is. Sigh… I shouldn’t be pissed off, but it wasn’t my day to watch him! ;0)
    I have asked that rather than asking me, could they ask him in IM, email, or leave a sticky note. They say he doesn’t respond. I just stare at them. I have been trying to think of a better response.

    Reply
    • BigLittleWolf says

      March 28, 2013 at 1:17 pm

      The years I worked primarily from a home office for a corporation, and in a managerial capacity, my schedule was clearly defined and known – and there were never any issues. I was basically always available when I said I was – and then some (making accommodations by rising before dawn for overseas phone calls, for example) – and doing “extra” work at night after the kids were asleep.

      My children were trained early – very early – that they didn’t interrupt Mom “unless there was blood.” Fortunately, blood was a rare occurrence. 😉

      What has been more surprising are the years of self-employment. My kids have continued to respect my hours (very long), but friends or significant others have much more trouble with it. I continue to set boundaries, and sometimes have to resort to “cranky” to enforce them.

      As for your manager working from home? What is there in the environment in-office or his communication of schedule and availability that makes other team members hesitate to reach him?

      Reply
  3. Thekitchwitch says

    March 28, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    With little kids underfoot, there are lots of interruptions. I try very, very hard not to get annoyed but sometimes I fail. And then if the kids aren’t home, the cat is needy? Argh!

    Reply
    • BigLittleWolf says

      March 28, 2013 at 1:20 pm

      Kitch, you always make me laugh!

      And yes, interruptions with kids are inevitable – especially when they’re little. (I purposely did NOT work from home until my kids were old enough to understand certain boundaries. Thank God for going to the office in those years! But by age 5, they got it, and for us – it worked great! It’s all in the training, and I recommend a French door – you can close it, but you can still see what’s going on!)

      On the other hand, our pets are less trainable…

      Reply
  4. Kristen @ Motherese says

    March 28, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    I am terrible about recovering from interruptions. (A ringing phone when I’m writing is the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.) And this is absolutely the hardest thing to me about trying to work from home with little kids about – throw a chatty neighbor on top of it and I’m toast. Glad to know I’m not the only one who struggles with this challenge! (Misery loves company, I guess.) xo

    Reply
  5. DaveysHouse says

    March 28, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    Turning down the volume on the phone, letting the answering machine do the work during productive times (or reverie times), and calling back when it is convenient to me works very well. I also never feel compelled to answer the front door just because someone rings during the day. There’s no good reason for them to do so unless they have been scheduled to come for a repair or whatever. Am I missing something? I also check call ID because charities keep calling my husband, who died 4 years ago, and if I try to explain they often hang up on me ;-). Go figure… But my cat interrupts me at will, and he’s allowed. Good luck, BLW!

    Reply
  6. Shelley says

    March 29, 2013 at 6:37 am

    When I am here alone, I frequently don’t answer the door; not because I’m frightened, but because I can see it is a sales person or the like. Likewise the phone. Just because it makes a noise doesn’t mean I have to respond. On the other hand, Bill can’t cope with my closing the door to the East wing/ sewing room / my ‘office’. I don’t work for a living and heaven knows what I do in there is not important. However, setting myself tasks and accomplishing them is one of the main things that keeps me going in retirement. Losing myself in what I’m working on is one of my best pleasures. Having that constantly interrupted for trivial chat is the hardest part about our both being retired and occupying the same house. On top of that, my occasional need for solitude – just to rest and think my own thoughts – has nearly pushed me around the bend a few times. If it is a weekday I sometimes take a notebook and pen and go find a cafe in the village, a quiet place with no obligations to converse. If it is a weekend, I give up on projects and turn my attention to housework. When I had a cubicle for an office, I used to put a chair back in the doorway with a note pad and pen in the seat. A note was taped to the back of the chair which said ‘My door is closed. Working on a deadline. Please do not disturb. Leave me a note and I’ll get back to you. Or come back after X:00.’ I often had a headphone on listening to / ignoring classical music while I did my writing or data analysis. Perhaps a similar note taped to your front door might help? Tape over the doorbell? Find a quiet coffee shop? Drive to a pretty place and work in the car?

    Reply
  7. Rudri Bhatt Patel @ Being Rudri says

    March 29, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    Wolf,

    I am terrible at handling interruptions. I lose momentum in whatever I am doing and then it takes me a few minutes to get back on track. Even with a little one at home, I don’t think I will ever learn to embrace interruptions.

    Reply
  8. Leslie in Portland, Oregon says

    March 29, 2013 at 10:50 pm

    My work requires a great deal of study, analysis and writing. A decade ago, I switched from working in a traditional office environment to working in my home office, in order to have the solitude and quiet I needed to sustain focus and accomplish my work as efficiently as possible. To avoid interruptions in my home office, I don’t answer the house doorbell or the telephone when I’m working. My home office is in the back of the house, and my car is out of sight in the garage, so no one can see I am home. My kids (adults and living out-of-town) and husband know how to reach me if it is urgent (let the phone ring twice, hang up, then call again). My business line has a remote receptionist who logs calls and messages on my email and interrupts me only for what is urgent. These measures set boundaries that minimize interruptions from the “outside” world, so, for the most part, I grapple only with the distractions coming from inside my head. A 45-minute walk with our two dogs at noon and a shorter one at 4:30 pm help with the latter challenge, but I remain a work-in-progress. My biggest failing is not limiting my work to the work hours I have set.

    Shelley’s comments about working at home during retirement resonate with me…I know those challenges are coming!

    Thanks for stimulating this conversation!

    Reply
  9. Contemporary Troubadour says

    April 5, 2013 at 3:33 am

    I’m relearning how to write with interruptions (the inevitable kind that a baby creates and then some not so expected ones). It’s not ideal for letting creativity flow, but it does force efficiency for me — I’ve experienced the opposite problem where, faced with a solid chunk of time specifically set aside for writing, I get bogged down in my own word pickiness and haven’t gotten nearly as much on the page as I’d want by the time I need to move on to other tasks. Under your circumstances, though, I’d definitely be irritated!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us

FacebooktwitterrssinstagramFacebooktwitterrssinstagram

Search Daily Plate of Crazy

Subscribe for Your Daily Serving

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Categories

Archives

Recent Comments

  • Anonymous on Does Effort Matter If You Don’t Get Results?
  • D. A. Wolf on Mantras
  • D. A. Wolf on Over 50, Unemployed, Depressed and Powerless
  • Marty on When You Marry a Loner
  • Tina on Would You Brag About Your Age?
  • Sal on Over 50, Unemployed, Depressed and Powerless
  • Open More Doors If You Want More Skills - 3 Plus International on Open More Doors If You Want More Skills
  • Leonora C on Over 50, Unemployed, Depressed and Powerless
  • Maree on Mantras
  • kate on DON’T Call Me Dear!
  • Stephanie on Narcissism. Manipulation. Keeping Score.
  • S on When a Couple Wants Different Things

The Makeover Series

Daily Plate of Crazy: The Makeover Series

Essays From Guest Writers

Daily Plate of Crazy: Essay Series

Daily Reads

Daily Plate of Crazy Blogroll

Follow

Follow

Notices

All content on this site, DailyPlateOfCrazy.com, is copyrighted by D. A. Wolf unless copyright is otherwise attributed to guest writers. Do not use, borrow, repost or create derivative works without permission.

© D. A. Wolf 2009-2025. All Rights Reserved.

Parlez-vous francais?

Daily Plate of Crazy: En Français

© D. A. Wolf 2009-2025
All Rights Reserved

Daily Plate of Crazy ™

Privacy Notice

Popular This Month

  • 50 Years old and Starting Over
  • Best Places to Live When You're Over 50 and Reinventing
  • When the Person You Love Is Emotionally Unavailable
  • When a Couple Wants Different Things
  • How to Comfort Someone Who Is Stressed

Food for Thought

  • Why I Choose to Think Like a Man
  • When You Marry a Loner
  • Emotionally Needy Parents
  • Sex vs. Lovemaking: Why Are We So Confused?
  • Think Looks Don't Pay?
  • Rebranding Mediocrity: Why Good Enough Isn't Good Enough

Copyright © 2025 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This site uses cookies for the best browsing experience. By continuing to use this site, you accept our Cookie Policy.
Cookie SettingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT