6:00 am: Tiptoe downstairs to answer some e-mails before the kids get up. Morning is my favorite time to work. It helps me get a handle on the day but I won't get anything done if my 6 and 2 year old are awake.

6:15 am: Hot coffee and a quiet hour..more than one home working mom could ask for! I have 32 e-mails since I signed off last night and time is at a premium. I'll answer the most important ones first and save the rest for later.

7:00 am: Two year old is calling me on the monitor-got to go!

9:30 am: The marathon is over. Both kids are dressed, fed, brushed and at school. I even managed to squeeze in a quick shower myself! I'm back in my office and ready to get to work for the next 2 hours until its time to pick up my daughter. I'm devoting my morning to phone calls since it's an ideal hour to contact people. Plus, it's much easier to make business calls without the fear of a child screaming "I Want My Juicy!" in the background. Unfinished e-mails will have to wait.

11:00 am: Have gotten so much done! Sometimes things just click. I reached all of my clients and 2 new jobs called in. My personal phone line was ringing but I ignored it so that I wouldn't get sidetracked. (If it's the school about one of my kids, they have my business telephone number.) I have some business mail to get out and the mailman should be here by 1pm so I'd better get it finished before picking up my daughter at school otherwise I'll have to drive it to the post office.

11:30 am: Work is done for now. Time to fill a juice cup, pack a snack, empty the dishwasher and pick up my little one. Also, should defrost something for dinner tonight.hmmm.

2:00 pm: What a nice afternoon. Went out for pizza and then to the park for an hour before naptime. It was a beautiful day and I kept thinking how lucky I am that I get to enjoy these moments with my children. Nothing is more important to me than being there when the school doors open and seeing the smile on her face as she tells me about her day. After her busy morning, she'll be asleep for at least 2 hours.

I missed two calls while I was out and I'll have to return them ASAP. I hate when that happens but the alternative is to call forward calls to my cell phone. If I'm out alone, I don't mind doing it, but when I'm with my kids, it gets a bit hectic. Inevitably someone has to go to the bathroom while I'm on the phone!

3:20 pm: Time to go pick up my older daughter from the bus. She invited a friend over to play so, if they're quiet, maybe I'll take a chance and get some work done.

5:30 pm: My husband is home and helping to get dinner ready so that I can take care of some business calls and follow up. I was able to finish off my e-mails this afternoon but I have an excellent job that I need to fill and don't want to leave it until later. The doors to my office are closed and everyone knows that "Mommy is working..shhhh!") but sometimes it's a hard concept for a 2 and 6 year old to grasp. I try and remind myself that an interruption to look at a new picture or to hear a story about their day is something that I should appreciate no matter how distracting it may be. After all, they're the reason I decided to work from home in the first place.

6:00 pm: Dinner is ready.. got to go!

7:00 pm: Homework time.

7:30 pm: Time to get ready for bed. I take this opportunity to get into my pajamas also--if I'm not already in them! I work a lot better when I'm comfortable. (I can't remember the last time I wore pantyhose!) We read stories as part of our evening ritual and my business phone rang but I didn't answer it-now isn't the time. Besides, it's probably a solicitor because most of my clients know that I'm not in my office at this hour of the day.

8:00 pm: Time to come back downstairs and wrap up my day. I'll try and reach the few people who I missed today and then go spend a quiet few hours with my husband. Today was a productive day and I feel stimulated (and exhausted)! I'm glad that I was able to get so much accomplished today. As a work from home parent, you have to make good use of your time because you never know when an uninterrupted moment may come again!


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Debra Cohen is President of Home Remedies of NYT, Inc.--a Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) which has served more than 500 residents of Nassau County, New York. Ms. Cohen is also author of a business manual entitled "The Complete Guide To Owning And Operating A Successful Homeowner Referral Network" which is sold individually or as part of an HRN Business Package. To date, Ms. Cohen has assisted more than 225 other entrepreneurs launch successful HRN's all over the globe.

For more information about starting an HRN in your area, visit the HRN website at Homeowner Referral Network or contact Ms. Cohen directly at (516) 374-8504.