Mum Bucks the Work Ethic

A verbatim with Mum about working from home

Mum:    Why are you cleaning the house?

Me:        It needs it.

Mum:    It’s Sunday.

Me:       That fact has not escaped my attention.

Mum:    So why are you doing it now?

Me:        What do you mean?  What does it matter when I do it?

Mum:    You have all week and you wait till Sunday.

Me:        I don’t make that much mess, once a week is enough.

Mum:    But you can do it anytime and you waste the weekend.

Me:        I work.

Mum:    Yes, mostly from home.  I understand when you don’t, but when you do.

Me:        When I do, I’m working.

Mum:    But you could slip in some cleaning.

Me:        Slip it in.

Mum:    You know what I mean.

Me:        You mean between writing, conference calls, reports, emails, invoicing and doing stuff for like work.

Mum:    Yes.

Me:        But then I wouldn’t be working and I can only charge for when I do work.

Mum:    But no one would know if you cleaned the bathroom on a work day.

Me:        It’s not about people knowing it’s about using my time.  No one cares, except you, how I organise my work day.

Mum:    I don’t care either.

Me:        Yes, you do.  You want me to slip house cleaning in so I can have a free weekend.

Mum:    Well, yes I do.  You should.

Me:        You’ve never really gotten this work from home thing have you?

Mum:    What’s to get.  I get it.

Me:        No, you think I swan around with all the time in the world to scrub floors and do the washing.

Mum:    But you do, because you’re at home.

Me:        Yes, working.

Mum:    But you can’t be working all the time?

Me:        Why not.  It’s the same as working in an office.

Mum:    No it’s not.  No one is watching you.

Me:        I hope when I’m working in a client’s office no one is watching me either.  That would be creepy.

Mum:    You know what I mean.  You don’t dress in suits when you work from home.

Me:        No, thank goodness.

Mum:    So that’s the point.

Me:        I’m lost.

Mum:    It’s the same thing, no suit, you can clean the house between things.

Me:        I could.  If I didn’t care to meet my deadlines or have enough work to buy the cat food.

Mum:    Stupid damn cats.

Me:        You mean you think I’m slack for not being able to work at home and hit the weekend with a clean house at the same time

Mum:    I wouldn’t say slack.

Me:        What would you say?

Mum:    Disorganised.

Me:        Thanks for that.

Mum:    Well, you asked.  So on Monday can you come and help me with the thing for Joyce?

Me:        Monday?

Mum:    Isn’t that what I said.

Me:        Why didn’t I do that for you Saturday or today?

Mum:    What’s wrong with Monday?

Me:        It’s a work day.

Mum:    Oh you always have some excuse.

Me:        It’s not an excuse.

Mum:    If you were more organised it wouldn’t matter.  It’s not like your boss will know your sneaking out.

Me:        I’m my boss.  I’d know.

Mum:    Well you’re not a very good boss.

Me:        Because a good boss would let me clean the house and nick off in the middle of the day to do whatever.

Mum:    A really good boss would.

Me:       (Sigh). I could’ve put a load of washing on instead of having this conversation.

Mum:    Exactly.  You really are a slow learner.