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Working at Home
Is it For You?
By Greg Downs
The family room of Jay Massey's Pensacola, Fla. house was like many family rooms all across the country: there were stacks of toys for his 5-year-old son, Tucker, a TV/VCR entertainment center, a window facing his backyard. It was a room meant for playing and relaxing. It was also a room meant for work.
When Tucker was born, Massey sold his previous business and founded Coco Design Associates Inc., a home-based communications design firm. To facilitate that transition, Massey bought a 4-foot governmental office cubicle and installed it in the family room.
As he worked at his computer, Massey could look over his left shoulder and spy Tucker playing with his toys and or watching cartoons. If Tucker played outside, Massey could monitor him through a window opening onto the backyard.
"The appearance of the cubicle wasn't bad," says Massey. "The mess that I put on top of my desk was the problem."
No one knows exactly how many fathers like Massey work from the home. Of the 2 to 3 million fathers who stay at home with their children, some work full time, some freelance and some do not work outside the home at all. One thing is certain: most work-at-home fathers face the similar challenges of establishing a distinct work space, managing time and balancing the needs of demanding clients and equally demanding children.
