Recently, when I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a new home-design trend, I knew instantly that at my home it would be as welcome as flu.
The trend? The family office. Proponents, probably women who nursed their children until they could ride bicycles, argue that having one room with dedicated work stations for every family member promotes family bonding. But how do you bond when Dad’s on his Blackberry, Mom’s on the phone and Johnny’s playing a computer game?
Productivity loss is the real reason not to create a family office. Anyone who works at home knows the need for boundaries. My kids know that when I’m in my office working, they’re not supposed to come in unless they’re vomiting, which of course has happened. Even Virginia Woolf recognized that to get anything done, a woman must have a room of one’s own.
Seriously, to build healthy family relationships, reduce the rate of domestic assaults and get some work done, every family member needs both a place in the home to bond with other family members, and a place to retreat so they can create voodoo dolls of other family members. Whether your family shares a home office or not, every student or working adult should have a work space to call his own. Space permitting, an ideal work station should have the following:
- An adjustable chair. This not only allows adults to set up ergonomic work stations but also means you won’t have to buy a new chair as your child grows.
- Dedicated storage. If more than one person shares a work area, set aside storage space for each person. Have a common area for shared materials, such as scissors, staplers and paper.
- Light control. If the area has a window, be sure you can pull blinds or curtains to prevent glare on computer screens.
- Task lighting. The area should have ambient light, from the ceiling, and task lighting over the desk or reading areas.
- Open door policy. Have kids use computers in the open. This way parents can make screen checks to be sure Susie really is writing her Civil War paper and not just updating her MySpace.
Photo by Marni Jameson.
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