SAHMs Can Become WAHMs

I know I lucked out – my mom was a SAHM (a stay at home mom). She was always the parent helping in the classroom, volunteering with the Girl Scout troop or driving carpool. But on top of all that, she worked, too.

My mom was not just a SAHM; she was a WAHM (a work at home mom), too. One year, she sold advertising for a local magazine. That job only took a few computer skills and a telephone. At other times, she produced content for websites. She even did childcare for other parents – what were a few more kids in the living room when she was already keeping my sisters and I in line? Mom once told me that the only two things she absolutely had to have to do it was an ability to multi-task and a good understanding of her priorities.

There are plenty of options for a parent who wants to work from home. For many professionals, it can be as simple as deciding to set out your shingle as a consultant or a freelancer in the same profession. The complications with this solution come needing some knowledge of how to run your own business. On the plus side, a home business lets you schedule your projects however you choose. If you need to spend the afternoon doing homework with your kids, you can spend the hours after their bedtimes working on your own projects.

Many types of businesses will employ people who want to work from home as well. Medical transcription, as well as other types of data entry, call centers and Internet-based businesses are all options. You will almost always need a working computer, an Internet connection and a phone for these sorts of employment. Websites like wahm.com offer listings of positions available, usually as classified ads. It can be very useful to become active in the forums of these websites: they often offer warnings about scams, and can offer tips about balancing work and kids.

What do you need to keep in mind if you work from home?

Explain to your children what the boundaries are. If you need to work at a certain time, tell them when you will be done. With young children, setting an egg-timer and promising to stop at the ding can help. So can timing events in terms of TV shows or CDs: “After this show finishes, I’ll be done.” You may also need to establish rules like, “If I’m on the phone, it has to wait.”
Designate a certain area of your home as your workspace. Keep all your papers, supplies and everything else handy. If you establish that when you’re in this area, you’re here to work, it becomes easier to get in the mindset to work.
It can be necessary to remind spouses and children that, even though you are at home, you’re working. Work has to get done, and that may mean that other people in your household may have to step up and help with cooking, laundry and other chores.
Budget your time and set your priorities. Being able to help your children with their homework every afternoon may be one of your priorities, so you’ll have to plan your work around the afternoons.

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