Every Work-From-Home Parent’s Hilarious Nightmare

Last updated on: March 15, 2017 at 8:57 am by Shaunti Feldhahn

Every Work-From-Home Parent’s Hilarious Nightmare 2017-03-15T08:57:30-04:00 Shaunti Feldhahn

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

So there you are, in your best suit, giving a Skype video presentation in your best professional manner – and thankful that the people on the other end can’t tell you are doing it all from a home office. After all, you have the impressive bookshelf behind you, and the map on the wall. It is all carefully designed to look like you are part of a substantial, well-oiled operation.

Suddenly, your small daughter wanders in, and starts dancing around by your chair, just having fun. You give a mortified smile to those on video, apologize, and try to move her out of the shot –just as your baby wheels himself in via his baby walker. And as that “this cannot be happening” thought flashes through your brain, your frantic spouse comes skidding and slipping into the room, grabs the kids, and hustles them out the door – reaching in one final time around the baby walker to firmly close the door.

You are left mentally flailing around, trying to somehow pick up the pieces and move forward with the sober professional presentation that just got blown to bits.

Oh, I have SO much sympathy for Professor Robert Kelly, whose recent live interview on BBC has gone viral for exactly that reason. Like the other tens of millions of people who have seen the clip, I could not stop laughing precisely because I can picture exactly how the poor guy felt. Every person who has ever worked from home in the modern world has always known, deep down inside, that such a moment was stalking them – and would catch up with them eventually.

A few years ago, I was deep into an explanation of marriage statistics with Joy Eggerichs on her popular video podcast when my friendly cat – who had somehow managed to get the door wide open without me realizing it – jumped up on my desk and sauntered in front of the webcam (see minutes 19 and 20). Just a couple of weeks ago, I was doing a live video interview about my newest book, The Kindness Challenge, when my other cat, irritated by the now wedged-closed door (I learned my lesson!) decided to hook his little paws under the door and try to rattle it hard enough to open it.

Shaunti (in her best professional voice): “So we identified seven different ways we are unkind and negative without ever realizing it –“

Door behind Shaunti: Rattle rattle rattle

Shaunti: “—Um, so, every one of us has a negativity pattern, and we need to identify it –“

Door behind Shaunti: Rattle! Rattle! Bang! Bang!

Shaunti: “—Um, sorry about that. So. Yes. So we have an online assessment you can take at jointhekindnesschallenge.com to help you identify –“

Door behind Shaunti: BANG!! BANG!!! BANG!!!

Interview host (trying not to laugh): “Maybe you should just let the cat in.”

Some of the things that happen when you work from home are mortifying – but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I know not everyone can work from home, and it doesn’t make sense for many people. But working from home allows me to spend much more time with my kids. It allows me to pick up my son from school and take him to get frozen yogurt if he’s had a hard day. It allows me to be home with my daughter when she is sick without having to get someone to cover my shift at an office. It allows me and my husband to sometimes go out for lunch just because.

I wouldn’t change it – but it sure comes with its own challenges in a day when professional credibility is hard-won and easy to lose!

Thankfully, the professionals on the other end of the video have all been there, in exactly the same way.

I’m sure that you have been there, too. And I’d love to hear your stories. When have you been hilariously interrupted as you’ve tried to maintain a professional demeanor? Share them with us – I’m doing a little informal research on how people who work to balance work and life in this way handle the balancing act when it all goes hilariously wrong.

Want to know how to be kind, when you really don’t want to be? My research uncovered three daily actions that will transform your relationships – and you. Check out The Kindness Challenge, now available!

Shaunti Feldhahn loves sharing eye-opening information that helps people thrive in life and relationships. She herself started out with a Harvard graduate degree and Wall Street credentials but no clue about life. After an unexpected shift into relationship research for average, clueless people like her, she now is a popular speaker and author of best-selling books about men, women and relationships. (Including For Women Only, For Men Only, and the groundbreaking The Good News About Marriage).

Her newest book, The Kindness Challenge demonstrates that kindness is the answer to pretty much every life problem, and is sparking a much-needed movement of kindness across the country. Visit www.shaunti.com for more.

parenting

work

Previous Post

March 14, 2017

6 Reasons Sarcasm Kills Relationships

Next Post

March 21, 2017 3 Steps to Seeing How Mean You Really Are

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christmas church current events dissent Editor's Choice family gifts growth humor kindness marriage men money news other parenting personal personal sex singleness teenagers Uncategorized women work

Select a Month September 2025 August 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

My child died, but a prophet stretched himself upon him three times and life returned. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The widow of Zarephath The Shunammite woman Hannah Ruth

Books by This Author Books by Shaunti Feldhahn

See All Titles »