Working at Home Mom? Learn From My Mistake!
No doubt about it, being a working at home mom is challenging. People tend to focus on the at home part, but from my experience, the emphasis is definitely on the word work! As I write this, my two young daughters lay soundly sleeping in their beds and it is EARLY in the morning – the only time I can manage to really get any work done. I’ve experimented with various schedules: work while they watch tv (not recommended), get a p/t sitter (expensive, especially on days when the creative juices are really flowing), work after they go to bed (and….snore….snore…snore – you get the picture). In the end, it turned out that early mornings work really well for me – I’m fresh, alert and, blissfully, alone.
The journey to the perfect (for me) work at home schedule was a long and arduous one. I spent about 2 years falling flat on my face with missed deadlines, late appointments, under-scheduled play-dates and waaaaaaay overdue library books. I was juggling far too many things with far too little help – for far too long. The turning point for me came when my, at the time, 4 year old daughter asked me why I had to work on the computer all the time. I explained to her (in 4-year old terms) that I had to work with people called clients who needed my help. She went away for a few minutes to play and then came back (with the saddest face ever!) and said
“Mommy, I wish I was one of your clients.”
Sigh…
I didn’t EVER want to see that sad face again (not on account of my neglect!), so I determined right then and there that I would do whatever I could to only work when I was not with them (or when they were not awake). Of course it took me awhile to work it all out (and to get used to getting up so early!) but I was single-minded in my goal. And I made sure to keep my daughter in the loop and let her know that I was actively working to change the schedule around to her benefit.
Now this type of schedule may be impossible (or undesirable) for some people – I know a lot of stay[TAG-SELF]at home moms[/TAG-SELF] who can’t bring themselves to open even one EYE before their kids wake up. But whether it’s early morning, late nights, during school hours or daycare, I encourage you to choose a work schedule that is agreeable for both you AND your kids. It makes a tremendous difference for them…and gives real meaning to the reason you probably decided to embark on the working at home moms journey in the first place. I lost sight of that reason for a little while. Please learn from my mistake.
To your Unlimited success!,
Tisha
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7 Comments
Tisha: Interesting post. I think all of us that dream about one day having the freedom to work from home are not aware of all the challenges that we may encounter at first as we try to figure out a plan. I will tell you though that I have found that waking up early really works whether you or working in or out of the home. There is just something about starting the day off early and on the right foot that works. Sometimes that means you have to change things around a little in your schedule, but it is amazing how much productivity can come from those early morning hours.
Hi Sibyl,
Welcome! Yes, I really do enjoy my early mornings now; the productivity is great but I especially love the peacefulness! Thanks so much for your comments, I’m really glad to have you add your “alterna” perspective to the community
. Have a great evening!
Signed up as a follower! Thanks for posting on the frog. I’m very interested in learning more about how your working from home. I spend alot of time on my children’s books, blogs, getting ready to start and ebook, I WANT MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME, lol.
Talk to you soon. Carol
Carol recently posted..The Frequency Of Bees
Hi Carol,
If I can be of any help to you in your quest for multiple streams of income, just let me know!
Thank you as well for the follow! Currently, the bulk of my online income is from writing. I write web content for various sites and I do paid product reviews. I also sell ebooks and am working on some other products and programs that will launch late this summer. After I recieved my certification in Hypnotherapy, I decided I wanted to do small business coaching for women since that is what I kept getting the most questions about from friends. I had a small but successful concierge service that I started in New York and then when I moved to California I started a pet-sitting company as well as working as a mystery shopper, independent merchandiser, call center operator and editor from home. So, as you can see, I had a LOT of home-based business advice to share!
Thanks for the advice – it seems early morning is the most logical time to get serious writing time in. I know this sounds stupid but do you need a nap during the day or do you get wired on coffee?
Nami recently posted..All Hitched Up And Ready To Go
Welcome Nami!
I’ve found that, for me, this has been the best solution for everyone in the house because I’m not infringing on the kids time during the day and I’m not ignoring the Hubs when he comes home in the evening! As for naps during the day – I wish!! But I have to admit that I do sometimes have an espresso or some type of energy drink in the middle of the day if I’m feeling “slumpy.” Generally speaking, though, as long as I have at least 5 or 6 hours of sleep, I’m good.
[...] means having the freedom to be there for my family when they need me. I can schedule my work schedule around their activities and needs. I absolutely LOVE what I do, so for me it doesn’t feel like [...]