Nursery/Home Office

This month's RealSimple magazine cover story is all about making do with small spaces. If you're running short of rooms in your house (and who isn't) they suggest creating a combination nursery/home office.

Are you kidding me?

Anyone who has ever worked at home with a child knows that the majority of the time you spend working is when your baby is napping or after she's gone to sleep. And although you might have a few early months of bliss when your baby will sleep anywhere, even with you tapping away at the keyboard or talking on the phone in your home office/nursery, these months pass all too quickly.

Working at home with a child is a luxury, yes. But it is also presents great challenges, challenges that change as your baby changes. It takes patience, flexibility, willingness to work in the middle of the night, and help. A lot of help. It also takes an office that is not in the baby's nursery.

I guess when some people talk about a "home office" they don't necessarily mean a place where you'd work 40 hours a week. They just mean a place to pay the bills for an hour on a Saturday. In which case, a nursery/office might work for them.

Not only is this RealSimple nursery/home office simply not realistic, it is also not child-proofed. The photographs of the finished nursery/office include an exposed wall outlet easily accesible to any baby who can roll over or crawl. Didn't a single person look at that photograph and think outlet covers?

I know that many people don't have the luxury of separate rooms for an office and a nursery. In our two bedroom house, my office occupies a small section of the living room, where all the outlets are covered or in use.

Comments

[Harrakis]

First POST!!

Ok, I took over the storage room in my garage as my office... well I tried to at least. So far it has turned into a junk room, but I am working on it. When I get it finished I'll post my pics of the space on my site.

Harrakis
http://harrakis.sytes.net

[irnbru]

These magazines have to get a story out that's different so some idiot (or mentally lazy) person with no kids came up with this one. Next month it will be combining your office with bathroom!!

[Patrick]

Well, you could always convert a bedroom into an office. That is, if you have an extra one. That way, you're near when A is napping, and can close the door to work late at night. All you need is a phone line jack and a good reception on the Wi-Fi network.

Of course, a TV should be included, too.. ;)

[Jennifer]

Home office/nursery? PULL-EASE!!! I don't know about your daughter, but my daughter likes to beat on my keyboard, pull on cords, eat whatever she finds on the floor. Some things should never be combined i.e. kitchen/bathroom. See? There are worse ideas than home office/nursery. Check my blog for the newest goings on at our house...

[Kirk]

There was an interesting piece in Salon.com about interior design for kids asking who are these people living in the ultraorganized world of the"Pottery Barn Kids Catalog".

http://archive.salon.com/mwt/feature/2003/12/23/catalog_kids/index.html

[Molly]

What my brother and sister-in-law did is they converted one of their guest rooms into their home office. It's close to my niece's nursery, so if she wakes up during her nap they can go check on her.

[Nick Postagulous]

My wife cancelled her subscription to Real Simple because the way they were suggesting we simplify our life was by buying more stuff. Granted, white ikea-clone stuff, and sure, it'd look all simple and euro. It's Woman's Day, but without the weight loss article and the cake photo on the front.

[Space Monkey]

When are you supposed to stop covering outlets? When the kid's 3? 5? 8?

I'm just wondering because I've seen kids in a High School Electronics class do some stupid things with an electrical outlet.

[Sarah]

OK, AMEN SISTAH!!!!! This is so funny, because i was JUST in the supermarket with the hubby this weekend, picked the magazine up, showed it to him, and with out a word, we both cracked up.... how UNrealisitc is this?!?! how about they just get a Hello Kitty computer to go with the kiddo motief?? I could go on and on about this particular one, as hubby and i were just in AWE over the insanity of it all!!!

[MikeW]

My wife and I have found that half of the recommendations these magazines make are not practical and/or contradict other recommendations. We just shake our heads and go on. As for working from home, I have the luxury of working from home 2 days a week with my 6 month old. I agree that working from home is great but takes a lot of work. I love my child but it is easier to work from work.

[Mark Z.]

Well I was suppose to get the corner in our laundry room for my music gear / office / recording studio --- but unfortunately my wife's brother now is in the moving process, and he has all his clothes stacked in the corner --- my own fault, as I guess it was open space for him to just pile his junk!!! grrr...

[EddyM]

Are you going back to the screen savers?

[Jonathan]

Bleh.. I don't like the nursery/homeoffice thing. Obiviously it's not going to work. I baby sit my little sister and i don't get my homework done. Since they need constant attention, It would almost impossible for you to work. So for all of those who think a nursery/homeoffice is a good idea. It's not! Unless you have the perfect little angle :)

[Mary]

I think that a playroom combined with a hope office is a great idea. I live in a condo and don't have the space for both. For sure there is the potential for a child to get into your office stuff, but a child that learns to respect their parents stuff, and has their own space, should be able to leave your computer keyboard alone. My son is happy playing in there, and doesn't even care to play with the computer stuff. (Plus, with good organization you can keep it out of reach)

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