Working at home with kids takes talent, patience

LAS VEGAS — I am right in the middle of a critical interview. I have been waiting two days for this call.

To my 3-year-old, it seems like a good time to ask for help in the bathroom.

"Mommy! Come wipe me!" bellows the little voice, just loud enough that I am sure the caller heard.

I apologize and explain that I work from home and have a little helper.

Most people understand and mention a story about their own children. But occasionally, people don't find it amusing. Some ask, pointedly: "Is now a good time?"

No. Not really. But is there any such thing as a good time anymore?

These days, I do interviews wherever I can. Once, a source returned my call while I was shopping in a craft store with my toddler. I pulled out my notebook and started working. To keep my 3-year-old quiet, I opened bags of candy and handed them to her. I survived the interview, then had to pay a $6 candy tab.

So how do parents who work at home get anything done?

Lisa Roberts, author of "How to Raise a Family and a Career Under One Roof: A Parent's Guide to Home Business," said there are two types of parents who work at home: the segregators and the integrators. The segregators put boundaries up, have a physical office, time to work, time to be a parent and use a baby sitter.

The integrators mix it up and are often doing everything at once. Plus, they may not have the luxury of having a baby sitter.

I'm an integrator, which means work is often done late but interviews have to be done in the morning, especially if I am calling the East Coast.

Roberts, who worked from home for 15 years and started the career resource web site www.en-parent.com, chose to have her four children close by while she worked. She set up a desk for her kids, had them put stamps on letters and gave them post-it notes.

She suggests trying to involve the kids as much as possible.

"It absolutely can be done," she said.

Jennifer Pine, a Henderson, Nev., mom who runs an event-planning business from her home, said she finds it a bit easier to work from home now that her 3-year-old and 5-year-old girls are older, but they are still too young to understand boundaries, such as no talking when mom is on the phone.