In thanksgiving for a noisy home office
Matt Lamb
Video Embed
I hope to always give thanks for a noisy home office.
Since Thanksgiving is a time for counting blessings and being thankful for bountiful gifts, it is also the perfect time to share why a noisy home office cannot be beat.
SENATE JUDICIARY REPUBLICANS PRESSURE DEMOCRATS TO TAMP DOWN SUPREME COURT INVESTIGATION
For the entirety of my marriage and the nearly two years of having children, I have worked from home, sometimes out of an office upstairs or other times at the kitchen table. However, my office can take me anywhere in our house or yard.
Working from home means that I have a unique opportunity to participate more fully in the lives of my children than if I were stuck in an office all day. It also increases my gratitude for my wife since I see, and certainly hear, what she deals with every day with two under 2. I only rarely need to ask what happened during the day since I was there.
The arrangement also keeps me energized, not worn out, as some might think working around two noisy children in a house would.
Sure, a triple shot espresso coffee is great, but have you ever picked up a chubby newborn for a few minutes to get a boost of energy? Tickled your toddler or chased him around outside for a few minutes? Told him the crawl space monster is coming to get him? A co-worker in the office might tell you thanks for getting a project done, but if you want a real morale boost, have a toddler ask you to play with them.
And on the subject of coffee, the Starbucks barista might be professional and get the caramel drizzle just right, but the toddler wants to make me coffee. That is an honor. If I can get him to edit and assign articles next, my productivity will skyrocket.
Working from my house also provides an insight into the everyday functioning of the home that I would miss if I traveled to an office.
When there is a pediatrician’s appointment, I can easily go or watch the other child. When a repairman comes, I can ask questions directly and see what is happening to learn more about home maintenance. I can also jump in to help put someone down for a nap or change a diaper.
But even better, when it’s a rare sunny Midwestern November day, I can rearrange my schedule to get in a family walk or chase around the toddler.
I can work from my office and tinker with the perpetually broken lawn mower in between editing articles. I can give feedback to a student reporter while walking around my backyard.
Does the noise get distracting? Of course!
But it also is a good reminder of why I work, and it keeps me motivated. There are other benefits, too. I can take on more writing opportunities than I could if I were stuck in traffic for two or three hours per day. If I get prideful about an article doing well, there are always messes to clean up or a child to prepare lunch for to knock me back into a sense of humility.
Working from home with two children is also about being thankful for having them and being open to life and however many children God sends.
The yelling toddler, the crying newborn, the mysterious loud “thuds” and crashes throughout the day, these are things I will give thanks for this year and for years to come.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Matt Lamb is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is an associate editor for The College Fix and has previously worked for Students for Life of America and Turning Point USA.