Many people are successful working at home with their children right there.
Each child is different and each situation is different. My daughter is an only child and needed more stimulation than a mom at the computer all day could give. Despite steady breaks to amuse her, she would still interrupt. It would take me double the time to finish the work, and I would be exhausted and she would be frustrated and sad by the end of the day. Some people have better luck at this if their kids are older, in school, or perhaps not quite as dependent on their mom as mine.