Mom Interviews

Please sign in, or sign up, to add a friend.

Please sign in or register to vote.

Please sign in to report a comment.

Please sign in or register to report a post.

Sally Thornton

Founder & CEO, Flexperience, LLC

1507 views | 0 comments | Rate this now!

My husband works and travels a fair amount, so most mornings and evenings I am in charge. After I put my kids to bed at 7:30 or so, I jump back on the computer if I have energy, or I jump on the couch with ice cream and TIVO, if I need to decompress! I wish I didn’t like the TV to unwind, but I do.

What is it like to work without an office?

A bit annoying – but I’m too cheap to pay rent. If I work from home I have unexpected knocking, yelling, etc. from my kids during a client call, so that’s not a great option either, even though I try from time to time to see if maybe things have changed and it will work (maybe when they are in high school and find me entirely uncool). Thanks to the Bay Area’s technology focus, many places have free WiFi so I can work in cafes and coffee shops. Also, there is a great public library near where I live that is more beautiful than any place I could rent! Of course when everything closes and I still need to work, I sit in my car in the library parking lot because thankfully they don’t turn off the wireless signal. (But I do look a bit pathetic.)

How do you split up your domestic responsibilities with your husband?

My husband is a great dad and spouse, but it was very clear even when we were dating that his career would require a lot of hours and therefore he wasn’t reliable or even really available a lot for daily childcare routines. We look at our calendars each Sunday night and determine if there is a night I need him to come home to help if I have something going on at the schools or with work, and he does a good job at making that happen. Otherwise, I call on support from our babysitters who have way more energy than I do, so I think it’s good for the kids as well as for me.

I’m pretty much on point for all doctor appointments, school participation requirements, and wake up/bedtime routines. Sunday mornings I’m supposed to “sleep in,” but now my four year old won’t let me, so let’s just say naps are my best friend whenever I can squeeze them in.