Taking it up a level, or to the extreme distraction methods which are required during important phone calls: Nothing is as nerve-wracking as waiting for that call that’s coming in a bit late and praying that the kids ‘wasted’ five or ten minutes of quiet time won’t come back to haunt you. I’ve done over 40 radio interviews on the phone and have only had to resort to hiding in the closet once.

Teach them sign language! Or at the very least, have at least one symbol that means “shut up!” I like the zipping of the mouth one myself. Or with older kids, I like the slicing across the neck – or with my 12-year-old-surfer-dude son, the universal signal for getting a haircut.

Have the ‘hold-back’ item – whether it is a special movie, game, food, whatever bribe necessary – that they only get when you have that very special meeting on the phone. This only works if you really only give this item when you really need it. Basically, I will nod my head and agree to almost anything when I’m on the phone. I’ll deal with ‘mommy’s contradictory nature’ when I’m off.

For really, really important calls, arrange them during naptime (you don’t have to tell your caller why a certain time during the day works really well for you). If they’ll take your call at 5:30 in the morning, go for it.

Above all, don’t assume your client wants to hear about your children and their antics. If the situation is really untenable, simply arrange, as professionally as possible, to call the person back at another time. Then, scream at the child and take back all the bribes you’ve been giving to them during the day.

Another key element to working at home successfully with children is setting up a support system and using it wisely. There are times when you simply need to get them out of the house – even ten minutes will do it in the case of a quick phone call or interview. The network of Women in a Home Office is the perfect example of how you can find other women in the same situation as you are, and how you can help each other. Next time you’re at a local chapter meeting or at a playground or other meeting area, see if you can find someone who is interested in trading off a little childcare time with you. It’s helpful to do this with someone whose children you can actually stand.

Closer to home, arrange to have your spouse/partner intervene as soon as they are available so that you at least know you can clean up all the stuff you didn’t get at some point during the day. Let them know they are on bath duty, storytime, lesson driving, etc. so that you can plan your time accordingly. Switch into power mode and really concentrate as soon as you can, for as hard as you can, and don’t get distracted yourself by the laundry, emptying the dishwasher, or answering the phone (unless it’s your husband asking for permission to come back from the mall with the four kids … on second thought, don’t answer that one either!)

This brings me to my point of not letting your own distractions eat up the precious work time you do have – the laundry, emails, and personal phone calls, can all be done when the kids are around. Save those chores for then, even if you’ve tripped over the vacuum cleaner in the hallway ten times since you got up that morning. Once you break the chain of concentration it can take up valuable minutes trying to get back in the mode and getting some real work done.

The final tip is to give yourself a break. You’re balancing both parts of your life and occasionally the balance will be tipped and it will seem like the end of the world; it isn’t. We’re all just human. Make repairs where you can (with your colleagues, your child, and potentially parts of your house) and carry on. The rewards of working from home, not to mention those that come with having children, are well worth the hiccups and side trips we take along the way. If nothing else, it makes for good material at office parties, neighborhood gatherings, or in this case, an article.