Posts Tagged ‘Kids Company’

It’s not the least bit surprising that more women are choosing to become work at home moms instead of toiling away in an office all day.  The perks seem almost too good to be true:  you get to command your hours, and you finally get to do what you want, be it blogging for money, putting up a modest business, or just telecommuting to work instead of actually going to the office.  In fact, it sounds like the perfect solution for busy mothers who want to do justice to both their careers and their obligations to their family.

Despite the obvious advantages that moms get from working at home, there are still some caveats that you have to be aware of before you make the move from your office to your house.  Here are a number of major points that you should consider if you’re thinking of working at home:

1.    The urge to check on the kids frequently:
This compulsion is especially strong if your kids are still very young and need supervising.  Of course, we’re not asking you to be negligent, but you’ll have to learn how to strike a healthy balance between work and your children if you’re going to get anything done within the day.  Try to get the help of a relative or a baby sitter who can look after the kids while you’re kept busy so that you don’t have to come running to them whenever you feel like they need you. 

Make it a point to spend your breaks with your children so that you can still have some quality time with them.  After all, that’s the point of being a work at home mom, right?  You want to be able to give your career and your children the time that they deserve from you, so create a schedule that lets you devote yourself to work and enjoy your kids’ company, all in the same day.

2.   Distractions:
In an office where everyone is expected to be on their toes and professionalism is demanded of everyone, there’s hardly any room to slack off or loaf around.  At home, however, doing just that is easy, especially since you don’t have a boss anymore and won’t need to answer to anyone but yourself.  But this is precisely why you should watch out for distractions that can get in the way of your work, since it’s easier to give in to them when you’re working at home and no one’s checking on you.  Remember:  if you let yourself get reeled in by distractions, your work will suffer, and unfortunately, so will your income.

3.  Extra paperwork:
When you become a work at home mom, you’ll find yourself being responsible for more things.  For example, you’re going to have to take charge of practically all your bills and do some accounting, which most of you aren’t yet accustomed to.  To avoid getting overwhelmed, make sure you organize all your bills and outstanding dues and create a monthly budget.  You can even ask for some help from someone more experienced in these matters than you, and if your business necessitates it, hire an accountant to work for you once in a while.

4.  Loneliness:
While there may have been times when working at your former office did nothing but frustrate you, you must also have met people whom you ended up getting along well with, and whom you managed to interact with in very friendly terms.  When you start working at home, however, you’re left with nobody but yourself, the kids, and the occasional baby sitter.   Loneliness is one of the more challenging things to overcome when you begin working at home, especially if you thrive in professional situations where you get to mingle with other individuals from varying backgrounds.

It’s easy to get caught up in the euphoria of finally working at home and seeing your children more often, but you have to remember that working in a domestic setting can also have some drawbacks that you will have to overcome.  Remember: whether you want to make money blogging, are eager to start your own small business, or just plain telecommuting, working at home can be the most rewarding career move you’ll ever make, but only if you learn to adjust well and manage yourself, your time, and your finances prudently.