How will working flexibly affect us socially?

As a parent who has had previous jobs to fit around the family, eg working nights and school hours, I am wondering how working from home will affect people socially. Some of the jobs I have had previously, even though the work I was doing was not very challenging for me personally, I really enjoyed because I was working with others and feeling part of a team. I have made some really good friends from work and have kept in contact with most of them over the years, even though I no longer work there.

My concerns are that working from home will be isolating and the sense of belonging to part of a team will vanish. So, how can we change this? How can we feel part of a 'virtual' team? How can we get that well deserved praise for a job well done? How can we raise our self confidence and self esteem by working alone?

By providing an online community we can share our experiences with others that are in the same positions as us. Organising monthly coffee mornings where we can physically meet our 'virtual' friends is one possibility. We all need a sense of belonging and sharing stories about our experiences will bring the community closer together.