The Joys And Hazards Of Work-at-home Moms

by: JessicaFranks
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It sounds like the perfect situation, doesn't it: Having the freedom to stay at home with your children while also earning a respectable income? And why shouldn't it work? While your children happily play with their toys, you can work on the computer. And while your little ones nap, you can be having a conference call with a client and also be icing a birthday cake. So simple, so straightforward. It's a wonder why everyone isn't doing this.

The reality is something quite different. You sit down at the computer to work on that project, you child chooses that moment to spit up. Two minutes into that conference call, the children start fighting and the screams can be heard all the way to Tokyo.

Unfortunately, very few things are as easy as they first appear, escpecially when kids are involved. So how do successful women balance working from home and being a mother? And what are the pitfalls that they have learned to watch out for?

One of the biggest challenges is scheduling time to actually get the work done. Some moms find that they have to hire a babysitter or a nanny to watch the kids so they can work without interruption. While this works in some instances, it is a costly solution that can severely reduce your earnings. Instead of hiring a babysitter, an older child may be able to watch the younger ones while you work. This, too, is not without its pitfalls. You will still be interrupted when arguments and disagreements arise between the siblings.

And it's not only the kids that are causing the trouble. Their pets have to be watched after as well. One mom who earns her living from on-line auctions reports that her children's dog goes bananas whenever the delivery van comes to the house. The dog barks loud enough to give her a headache. But what can she do? Her children love the dog.

One way to find some uninterrupted work time is to work at night when the children are all tucked into their beds. Some moms find jobs that give them the flexibility to do this such as bookkeeping or taking customer service calls at night. This is not a cure all, however. You need to take care of yourself and get the sleep your body needs. Otherwise, you'll be facing the next day cranky and drowsy. If you do decide to work at night, don't forget that afternoon naps can be just as refreshing for adults as it is for your kids.

Sometimes it is the job itself that can cause pitfalls when working from home. Employers often undervalue the work work-at-home moms do. And some even claim poor quality and reject the work just to get out of paying for the work at all. Not only that, only rarely will you find a position that offers healthcare benefits, other insurance benefits, and retirement plans. It is up to you to budget and plan for your elder years.

I saved the biggest pitfall of working from home to the last. And that's pitfall of no adult contact. You don't get to spend time at the water cooler chatting with coworkers about office gossip, last night's television shows, or life in general. Your day is spent solely with your children, the bugs they found outside, that annoying kid's shows, and your children's sticky candy kisses. Fortunately, it's a pitfall many moms welcome.

About the Author

If you are looking to make extra money from home, then make sure you check out Jessica's free movie about jobs for stay at home moms, and stay at home mom businesses.  

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