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:
When working at home, it’s easy for moms to start fussing over their kids’ every move, even if there’s a lot of work to do. You’ll have to curb the pressing urge to check on your children every so often, since that can put a real crimp on your productivity and can cause you to get unnecessarily derailed from your tasks.
Try to get some help from a baby sitter or from a relative who’s only too happy to lend a hand, so that you don’t have to fret about how your children are doing while you’re caught up in a task. Don’t get too absorbed with work, though! Remember to spend some time with your kids by taking 15-20 minute breaks when your tasks start wearing you out.
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:
If your company has been paying your insurance fees for you so far, you’re going to have to do all the paying yourself this time around. Working at home will require you to be extra careful with your expenses, especially since you won’t always get any outside help in managing your paperwork. Don’t forget to keep up with important payments, especially if your former office used to handle them for you.
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.
Despite the difficulties that come with being a work at home mom, there’s a good reason why a lot of women are still happy to give up their office desks to work in their own houses. As long as you retain your focus on your professional goals and as long as you love what you do, you can successfully put up your own business, make money blogging, or telecommute to your job — all in the comfort of your home.
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Mon, Jul 6, 2009
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