Thanks – I’m definitely going to use your response in my approach! I do try to indicate when my calendar will be clear again, but it’s good to have a reminder to do so. I know I don’t always remember.

Also, are you sure a promotion would *require* you to stop working from home? If they value you enough to promote you, could you negotiate the working from home to continue and just map out a detailed plan of how you can be reached, etc.? Are there other remote workers at your company, maybe even some who are full-time remote? Maybe talking to them would help?

@Meghan – if you figure this out, I’d love to know the answer too… I think your approach — giving a specific reason, like you said at the end of your comment, and then also saying when you will be available helps. You don’t say “no” you say “I’d love to work together. I’m taking new projects starting in March!” Or something like that.

@Sarah – that is a tough question! Would it change your thought on spending the night occasionally if it meant you could see your kids *more*? Rather than look at each day, you look at the whole 168 hours in a week. I’m not sure how much flexibility your job would have. It won’t let you work from home, but maybe the hours could be semi-flexible? So maybe two days you work really, really late and stay over, and then the other days you go home much earlier. So you miss the evening and bedtime 2x per week, but you’re home 5x (3x during week plus weekends). I don’t know – could be an option. If you’re interested in the job. I think these are separate questions: whether you want the promotion, and what it would take to make it work.

How does one turn down work without jeopardizing future offers from the same potential client? That’s my biggest fear. So far, I’ve been lucky by letting clients know when there are decent blocks of time I’m available or not available (moving, new baby, the sort of thing that can be planned for), but I always worry about it.

May we get the muffin recipe?!