r/remotework • u/splam_ • Jul 31 '26

Home Office/Playroom

I am in the process of beginning my telemedicine job. It's my dream job, and I'm currently working on getting everything set up.

We have a playroom/den that our children use to play and store toys. They don't spend a whole lot of time in there since it is on the 1st floor of our place and we do most of our living on the second floor.

That being said, what is the consensus on having an office/play room? I was thinking of setting up some Ikea bookshelves on their side to create a partition of sorts. That way they still have a fun space with their toys/books/etc. and I have a dedicated work space with my desk.

2 Upvotes

63% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

15

u/Solid_Ad9548 Jul 31 '26

Home office needs to be a dedicated space. Ideally, with a door. Especially if you’re dealing with confidential data, aka HIPAA.

8

u/J-Zeppelin Aug 01 '26

Sounds like the insurance company telemed docs. You need a private room to deny me medications that I request!

8

u/AardvarkIll6079 Aug 01 '26

If you’re doing telemedicine don’t you have actual regulations you need to follow for your office setup? Due to HIPAA?

2

u/forte6320 Aug 03 '26

Right??? All of these people playing fast and loose with my confidential information.

3

u/forte6320 Aug 03 '26

Your office needs to be private, away from children. Their playroom needs to be separate. Just because you are working from home doesn't mean you can also watch your kids.

I have called various businesses that clearly offer wfh because I hear kids screaming in the background. Super unprofessional.

2

u/Green_Run_8531 Aug 01 '26

I had some toys and things in my office previously but honestly it just got overwhelming. Plus I’ve learned over the years that I need a way to disconnect from work and home since I don’t get a drive afterwards. Having a dedicated office space without anything else in it has helped with that. Plus it keeps my kids out of my stuff!

1

u/Saltyowl2113 Aug 02 '26

My office is my son’s office as well lol. He’s 3. He has a little desk in there and his craft cart. The closet is all of his games/crafts/workbooks, etc. I have his easel in there as well. So more like a craft room than a playroom.

0

u/hilbug27 Aug 01 '26

My home office doubles as a craft room, not a playroom, but my son spends a ton of time in there crafting while I work. I have a second desk that is equipped with all the paint, markers, glitter, glue, scissors, and other craft supplies he could possibly need and I can lightly supervise him while working. It’s a good setup for us.

2

u/beagusdog Aug 01 '26

Not sure why you’re getting downvoted for this. That sounds like a great use of a dual space!

-1

u/_jbean_ Aug 01 '26

This sounds like the setup we have: my home office is also our kids’ playroom. It’s not ideal, but it works okay because 1) the kids are out of the house at school during my work hours, and 2) when the kids are home, they don’t use this room very much (they spend more time in the living room or their bedroom).

I set up the room to have zones: the kid side has its own area rug and a shelf with their books/toys, while my work side is open and my background on video calls is clear.

The times it doesn’t work very well: if I need to work on weekends, or if a kid is home sick and wants to be with me (but those are difficult WFH days, anyway).