The Drawbacks to Being a Work at Home Mom
Sunday, July 19th, 2009
Working at home is becoming an even more tempting option for many busy mothers out there who feel torn between their jobs and their familial obligations. And it seems much easier to work at home now, especially because there are so many more career opportunities out there: you can start putting up your own business, selling your own merchandise, or even blogging for money.
Nonetheless, there are a couple of things that work at home moms ought to keep in mind when it comes to managing their tasks. If you can squeeze past these tight spots brought on by working in your own home, you won’t have a hard time adjusting to your new working environment:
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:
Face it, your house is a hotbed of things that could distract you from the job at hand, making it difficult for you to finish anything if you let those things pull you away from your tasks. Some chores could lure you away from your work, while the TV can tempt you to the couch and get you started on a movie marathon that you can’t afford to take. Make a daily to-do list, and be vigilant about sticking to your work schedule. Learning how to focus better might not come naturally some of you, but once you get used to your daily routine, you’ll find it easier to stick to your work and accomplish more things.
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:
A lot of work at home moms have to grapple with those days when loneliness or boredom sets in. This is because most of them came from offices where they had daily contact with people in real time, where talking to someone meant dealing with that person in the flesh, instead of seeing an instant message pop up on the screen. Unfortunately, working at home won’t afford you that much social interaction, so try to find ways to conquer loneliness when it hits. Ring up some friends every week and arrange to meet up with them, or take the family out to dinner when you’re done with work. That way, things don’t get boring or humdrum for you, and you won’t end up resenting your job.
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.
