Yesterday I said that working at home changes relationships. The biggest relationship it changes, of course, is the one you have with yourself. Last week, you were a corporate lawyer or a go-get-’em journalist or a teacher. This week? It’s hard not to say “I’m just a mom,” because that’s what we’re taught to say. But we know there’s no such thing.

Moms thinking about working at home imagine all the time they’ll have for themselves to work out, clean out the junk drawer, organize their closets, get the laundry on a decent schedule, write in a journal or pick up a craft abandoned long ago. There is time for that, time for yourself, but you have to be ready to take it when it comes, especially if your paid work starts to take off.

When you worked outside the home, you felt like that if only you could have a little time to yourself, you’d be a better worker, partner and mother. Now that you’re working at home, you need to make sure you fulfill that promise to yourself and don’t let the work creep deprive you of what you need to get stuff done.

Fridays will be devoted to the relationship with yourself – how to make sure you are getting your time in, as well as for everybody else.