https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:26:17 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913283 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 08:32:27 +0000 lindseykaye 2913283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all! This gives me hope. So much can be done from any setup.</p> <p>Today I'm going to try out working at the desk in the dining room. First challenge is that I planned to hook my laptop to the monitor we have but there is no HDMI port (?!) so I'll have to figure that out and probably go back to the office to get mine.</p> <p>Took some measurements and we may be able to squeeze a tiny desk into the bedroom which is not ideal space-wise or mentally for relaxation once work is over but hey - none of this is ideal so whatevs. </p> <p>@bees_knees: Working from the F250? Dang that is commitment.</p> <p>The real challenge in all this is staying focused and not helping/interfering with DH and my DDs home school work. She is not having the easiest time with this transition and has always been resistant to us teaching her ANYTHING. So yeah, actively blocking out her being totally unfocused and also freaking out about her math worksheet right now. Good times. This is why I may move into the bedroom even if I could work from our family desk even if I don't want to spend the money or cram more furniture into a 10x12 room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913279 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 23:37:45 +0000 PinkElephant 2913279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DH does have a dedicated office, but it’s on the first floor of the house near the bathroom and kitchen, which opens directly to our former playroom. As soon as we found out the kids were going to be home, we went out and bought rugs, bookcases, etc and basically semi-finished our basement ourselves in 48 hours so we could move our playroom down there and away from him. The kids do their remote schooling upstairs in their bedrooms. I was reluctant at first because it was a drastic move but it’s been a great choice....the shift controls both noise and mess on the main level of our home a little better, which takes some stress off of everyone.</p> <p>I know not everyone has the luxury of space, but wanted to share the approach of moving the kids rather than the worker in case it helps anyone think of their solution differently. Ie; moving remote schooling/playtime into bedrooms could free up a coffee table or dining room spot for adults. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913266 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:34:45 +0000 mrs.kiwi 2913266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@helloperidot: Omgsh, we have 2 bed, 1.5 bath for 2 adults and 3 kids as well! Virtual high five to you- we are survivors haha!</p> <p>We had a hideous big ikea desk in our cramped bedroom that we were going to get rid of. We boxed up all the books/items on the shelves of the hutch and now my husband’s huge monitor is there. It was more of “my” desk (since I’m a SAHM) but now he took over. Reading all your responses makes me glad we didn’t chuck it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913260 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 18:33:00 +0000 Ms. RV 2913260@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>While I have a true office, DH works off a desk we just bought in the hall. He also considered the basement, but it is unfinished so it would just echo. He wanted the RV as his office but I said no because I need him to be in the house if I am watching the kids while working. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913256 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 16:27:33 +0000 helloperidot 2913256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lindseykaye: we are in a 2bd apartment, 2 adults and 3 kids...so we don't have any extra space. 😂 My DH had previously been working from home 1 day a week and he uses our bedroom. He sits on the bed and uses a mini ironing board as a lap desk to hold his laptop. Obviously you can get an actual, like, breakfast tray table or something, but DH is into efficiency and we already had the ironing board. 😂🤷‍♀️</p> <p>He has done this for about a year and it works great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913255 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 16:15:36 +0000 Anagram 2913255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in a 2 bedroom condo with 2 kids and (as of now), 2 working-from-home adults. Since my husband's job is more intense, he got a desk/desk chair and put it in our bedroom. It barely fits, but it is what it is. I mean, he has space for 2 new giant monitors and a printer and a legit (and hideous) webbed office chair, so that's fun, having that all crammed in our bedroom. </p> <p>I work at the kitchen table or on the couch. I'm teaching from home, so generally my strategy has been to post everything the night before (after the kids are asleep) and then publish it at 8am, and then all I have to do is respond to messages/emails from parents and students and colleagues all day. But even the responding to message thing takes me....about 3 hours a day. And since I am simultaneously homeschooling my kids, it is a HUGE challenge.</p> <p>On top of that, my boss has been incorporating google meet and zoom meetings and wants us to start doing it with our students more and I am really. really. really not looking forward to that. Because I have no space. My kids are literally going to be right there with me, and I don't love the idea of being responsible for teaching middle schoolers and also parent/teach my own kids, I hate the idea of my kids being on camera, It's not professional for me to be like, teaching the class from a bathroom. So I feel like I'm kind of screwed?</p> <p>I'm kind of mad about the whole thing, tbh. </p> <p>We have a zoom faculty meeting tomorrow at 1pm. 1 pm, right when my kids are either eating lunch or I'm getting my youngest to nap. And now I have a virtual faculty meeting. I feel like I should let my kids scream and be loud and dance around the screen behiind me and sit on my lap and type things, just so they can see first hand what we're up again, hahahahaha.</p> <p>I know a lot of you are in the same position. :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913241 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:06:25 +0000 wrkbrk 2913241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lindseykaye: My desk is, and has always been, in the main room of our house 🤷🏼‍♀️<br /> I normally wfh once a week but obviously it’s every day right now. My son does is “distance learning” there too twice a day. </p> [attach=5342/20/q86aaq.450x600.47A07062-D73E-4333-B9D9-628A45A0D31B.jpeg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913240 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:06:21 +0000 agold 2913240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Opps. Double post. Sorry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913239 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:59:53 +0000 ALV91711 2913239@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m set up at the kitchen table. Definitely not ideal but we don’t have any space for an office. Plus the main floor is safe for the toddler to play while I work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913238 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:58:28 +0000 agold 2913238@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm upstairs on a little couch in a little loft, using a skip hop table as my work space. I can't do this much longer because of the terrible posture i'm using while doing this. </p> <p>I looked into one of those crate and barrel ladder desks. There are so many variations online and its a great option for small spaces. I would have put it in my bedroom but husband often works nights and sleeps days so I didn't want to chance him switching to that schedule while I'm WFH during this shi*t show. I will probably order a narrow desk for a small corner I have upstairs. (Help - who has an idea for a good narrow desk??!?!?) </p> <p>If you have to make calls and kids can be heard in the background, it is what it is. Everyone should understand during this time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913237 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:48:25 +0000 Dahlia 2913237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a tiny desk set up in the corner of our bedroom. It's not ideal, but it's nice to be able to shut the door! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913235 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:27:30 +0000 bees_knees 2913235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of my teacher friends is working from the bed of her husbands F250 😂 (he has a topper on it, so she’s shielded from weather, muffled noises, etc) That’s def thinking outside the box! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913232 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:36:36 +0000 bhbee 2913232@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a screened in patio so dh is out there every day! It provides a nice barrier to the kids, there’s also a gate to the laundry room which leads to the steps out there so they tend to stay away. Although we have a wind chime out there that goes crazy when a storm is coming, you can hear lawn mowing or construction, etc - but I feel like background noise is normal these days. </p> <p>His other options (which will be more necessary as we get close to texas summer) are a narrow table with desk chair in the laundry room or sitting in our bed. Kids are pretty good about not going in the bedroom but it’s not a great all day setup. Thinking maybe he can use noise canceling headphones in the laundry room as needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913230 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:26:04 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2913230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DW is in our laundry room with an old table that we had stacked with crap for years. We happened to have an old office chair too. It’s not ideal but she can’t be on the main floor or the children will find her so she waves and heads downstairs for work every morning 🤣 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913226 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:05:36 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2913226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband took over our den which has glider like chairs but no desk and is using multiple TV trays to be his desk. I am mostly working from our living room or dining room while E (2.5) naps or is bed. I almost never have meetings and my work load is primarily professional development since I cant exactly do science at home. It works for us only because my work is so flexible. I dont know how others are managing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913222 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:50:31 +0000 erinbaderin 2913222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We ran out when it looked like things were going to go into lockdown and bought a very narrow desk that we put into the guest room, but for the first week my parents had the kids and both my husband and I were working full time, so he was sitting on a stool using the dresser in our bedroom as his desk. It was not ideal. Since then we’ve been trading off time working and being with the kids, but we’re thinking we might have to invest in an actual desk chair - the kitchen chair we’re using is not ideal, ergonomic-wise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wfh-setup-no-office#post-2913219 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:38:13 +0000 lindseykaye 2913219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Curious to see how other people have set up their new work from home spaces if you don't have a dedicated office or separate area.</p> <p>I've newly been asked to begin WFH but we have a small house (which I love) and ours is the smallest bedroom of the three so it's a no-go for a true desk setup in there. I will need someplace quiet, at least for calls/meetings which I have at least a few a day.</p> <p>DH is home (SAHD) with our 15-month old and 7yo who is doing online learning. Our current computer desk area is in the corner of the dining room which works great for family use, but not so great for actual work, but I suppose it's what's going to work here pretty soon until we figure out the temporary/permanent setup.</p> <p>Trying to brainstorm some creative ideas but would love to hear what you're all doing! </p>