QUESTION: I'm the mother of a six-month-old baby girl and the owner of a new home-based word processing service. Most of the time, I can manage to keep things running smoothly, but there are days when the business phone is ringing, the baby starts crying, the doorbell chimes and the dog starts barking all at the same time. Can you give me some advice on how to cope with it all?

ANSWER: Managing multiple priorities is never easy, but you can learn to handle intense moments by anticipating them and preparing yourself. Mothers working at home should have a separate telephone line for business use with voice mail or an answering machine that can activated during a scene like the one your describe. A hold button on the telephone can also come in handy for disturbances that occur during a conversation.

A business line will also qualify you to place an ad in the yellow pages, which could help your business grow. With a business line, you can let your voice mail or answering machine answer the phone after business hours or during family time. (If you can't resist answering a ringing phone, turn the bell off during those times.) Your personal phone will remain free for use by your and your family.

You can avoid disaster while working at home with children with a little strategic planning. Try to visualize what can go wrong and decide ahead of time what you would do. Here are three examples and possible solutions:

1. What will you do if the baby wants to nurse and a new, potentially lucrative client is at the door? Try to schedule appointments when baby is napping or when child care is available. If that doesn't work, excuse yourself for a few minutes and leave interesting material for your client to read.
   
   
2. You have an impending deadline and a fussy baby...what do you do? Keep a teenage babysitter on call to take her for a long walk around the block, put the baby in a backpack, or play some soothing music and put the baby in a wind-up swing next to your desk. If all else fails, seek an extension on your deadline.
   
   
3. You have to take an important business call, but your toddler has decided to give up his nap today. How will you be able to speak intelligently while entertaining your little one? Keep a special drawer in your desk filled with touchables your child is allowed to use only in your office. Scotch tape, safety scissors, washable markers, discarded mail, colorful construction paper and paste can keep your little one busy for the duration of your telephone conversation. Too messy? A TV with a VCR and a special supply of Barney tapes could be a lifesaver if you do not overuse them.
   
   

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