Hi everyone!
I'm constantly asking myself the same thing about hours, Sharon. I think it really varies from one person to the next. For me, I MUST have structured hours or I fail at both VA-ing and mom-ing. It's hard to stick to a schedule since my two kids don't have exactly the same patterns and needs, and I know the balance will continue to shift as they grow. But I have to schedule that way just the same. I'm not like Brandy at all. I stink at multitasking. Every time I try to juggle home and work in the same hours, I screw up. So I'm finally learning not to try. I keep my roles and hours separate as much as possible.
My day goes something like this: I get up early, dress, eat, etc. and am at work by 6:30am, long before the little people are awake. These are usually the least variable hours of my day, so I've made it a point for them to be the most productive. Current paying projects take priority during this time. When the little ones get up around 9am, I put aside the business and do only kid and house things. The only exception is email, which I do check now and then if I'm expecting something. Then when the kids are in bed for naps, usually no later than 3pm, I'm back to business. Usually I finish up paying projects, search out new ones, or do routine marketing, QuickBooks, etc. during this afternoon block. My husband is home by 4pm, so if I need to work longer than the little ones sleep, he takes over supervision. I work until 5pm, then make dinner. We all eat, clean up, and play together until around 8:00, which is bath and bed time for the kids. Then if I need to, I have a few more business hours I can work in before I go to bed. I very rarely spend any weekend hours on business.
It might sound like my weekdays are a little crazy and practically nonstop, and they are. But it sure as heck beats spending an hour each way commuting to work like I used to, or parking my kids in day care instead of seeing their little faces all day. Virtual is definitely the best choice for me.
I guess the thing is, we just have to experiment until we find the balance that works best for our individual skills and family situations. You'll find a way to make it work.
Oh yeah, your TV/radio question! Usually I work in near silence and don't even remember that I have music right here on the computer. And that's odd, because I used to have the radio on all day, NPR in the morning and music in the afternoon, before I started working from home!
