Girls Gone WAHM

The concept of working at home is a lot easier today for mothers, thanks in large part to the Internet. Research shows that over 10.1 million businesses in the United States are owned by women, and even though there are no hard numbers on which of those are work-at-home moms (WAHMs), the number is expected to grow with the proliferation of women who find income-generating activities online.

Additionally, many women choose to stay at home instead of pursuing their careers in the workplace because of:

• Flexibility of schedule—Ask any WAHM why she chose to stay at home instead of venturing outside for her career goals, and more often than not, she’ll tell you that the biggest advantage with staying at home is being able to control her schedule. Managing the home can be stressful if you’re conforming to your work schedule as well as everyone else’s. Being able to decide when you do tasks is a huge benefit.

• Tuning in to your children’s needs—From an infant to a teenager, a child can be as hard to read as binary code. Staying at home gives WAHMs the chance to be more involved in their children’s lives, knowing what they need every day, getting to know more of what they do, and keeping them from getting into trouble.

• Time to relax—More often than not, women who juggle an outside workplace with keeping their home leave themselves to be the last priority. Staying at home gives mothers more time to breathe and relax, to attend to things at their pace, and find time to pursue their different passions.

If you want to successfully work at home, remember these tips:

Plan Ahead

Just because you have 24 hours at your disposal, it doesn’t mean you can just leave everything to chance. Take note of everyone’s schedule and what you need to do to keep everyone in working order. Make a preliminary schedule based on your observations and do your best to stick to it—all the while having Plans B and C for emergencies. Be realistic in planning and test it out for a couple of days before setting anything in stone.

Inform the family

While a schedule can help you set your own expectations, you’ll also need to set your family’s expectations. Inform your husband and older children of the schedule you intend to keep, and ask them to respect it. Let them know the hours you plan to focus on work, and any time you will be out of the house at least two days ahead. This will ensure that everyone understands they can’t just ask you to bake cupcakes during your work hours—or other tasks they need your help for—unless it’s an emergency.

Have a Workstation

Seemingly unimportant but largely beneficial to the WAHM, a designated workspace will increase productivity and help you focus. An ergonomic chair, a desk with writing implements, and proper lighting will help you deal with the tasks at hand with minimal distractions. If you have a spare room in the house, clear it out and make it yours. Close the door and tell family not to bother you unless it’s absolutely necessary. Offer them the times you’ll be on break or off work for the day.

Choosing to work at home can be a challenge, but with a little patience and a lot of will, any Girl Gone WAHM will be able to achieve everything she wants without having to juggle between her family and career.

Are you a WAHM? How do you stay on top of everything? Happy Friday!