Those of us who work at home tend to get "guilted" by those who don't. We get asked how the "job search is going". Friends and relatives e-mail us links to job postings that look "just right" for us. They send us their resume to proofread, then ask us if we'd like them to proof OURS.

We sometimes experience a raised eyebrow when we're doing our banking or grocery shopping in the middle of a weekday, as if someone is wondering why we're doing errands and not at the office like everyone else. "Must be nice" is the almost-envious response we receive when we tell someone that we work at home.

I've felt this "guilt" myself... When my neighbor is out scraping his windshield during the winter, in the dark, at six a.m., and I'm sitting, comfy and cozy, still in my robe, leisurely sipping my cup of coffee, knowing that I don't have to travel the icy roads. When it's a gorgeous spring day and I go out to rake the lawn and listen to the birds sing, while many people are cooped up inside a stuffy office building somewhere. When my grandchildren visit and I'm able to stop what I'm doing and go out and sit under a tree and watch them play in the pool. Before a holiday, when I can take a whole day to prepare if I want, while others frantically crowd the stores after the nine to five day is done. When I don't feel well, and know that I can take some time off and rest, without worrying that I'll get fired.

This is FALSE GUILT, and we must work to overcome it in ourselves. We work at home, and it IS work. If we want to put food on the table and pay our monthly bills, we aren't sitting around all day, surfing the Internet. We are working.

Don't allow people to guilt you because you work at home. It takes a determined self-starter to work at home successfully. You wear ALL the hats, and the buck stops with you. Be proud and feel confident. Above all, don't let the occasional completely frustrating day cause you to throw in the towel and start mailing out resumes!

Rebecca Fairbanks works at home in Vermont, USA. Visit her blog, http://www.workathomegrandmother.com