The Downsides To Being A Work-at-home Mom
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by: JessicaFranks
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The fax machine's shrill tone broke into the still silent room. I leaped to grab the receiver and terminate the transmission; having just managed to put my fussy teething baby down for his nap, I was determined that nothing would disturb his rest. Unfortunately, that fax had been from my client. Now I'd have to call him back and ask him to re-send after I'd turned the ringer off. That would entail some over-the-phone \"face time\", where he'd pick my brain for several minutes, or just shoot the breeze while I itched to get some work done while the baby slept.
What are the pitfalls of working from home and being a mother? It seemed like the best of both worlds. I could attend \"Mommy and Me\" playgroups, then spend significant time with my computer while my baby slept. All the baby books assured me that babies slept at some point, and I am a focused worker. Everything seemed to be on target except for two things: my baby was fussy and slept poorly unless I held him. Also, my primary client was fussier than my baby and required extensive time with me on the phone.
What are the pitfalls of working at home and being a mother? Not knowing who to put first, the client or the baby. The final straw came when he called me right after an extended conversation. I really had thought he was done and attended to my baby, who seemed to be feverish. Right in the middle of taking my baby's rectal temperature I heard the phone ring and the answering machine click on it was The Client, calling out, \"Hello? Are you there? We just spoke... did you go out? Hello?\" That's when I got tough.
That was when I had to toughen up and set some ground rules for myself. The client couldn't be blamed for taking up my time ??" after all, I was letting him. If I didn't set some limits now, all my clients would behave the same way. Everything started to run smoother when I let my customers know that work for me was set for after 10:00 pm. They could fax or email me during the day, but my work day would officially start after the baby was either in bed for the night or being attended by my husband. That would allow me to more fully concentrate on my job. It would also help me to avoid marathon phone calls with clients who just needed someone to talk to
What are the pitfalls of working at home and being a mother? Time management. I established set times each day when I'd return phone calls one per client. It forced all of us to become much more streamlined and focused in our work, which ultimately did us all good. I was able to create higher quality work and my clients found that their invoices were lower since I wasn't charging for all the interruptions.
The new schedule soon became comfortable for both me and my clients. I got quite good at producing a good amount of work in a short time, and the house was better cared for because my newly developed time management skills. Everything changed, however, when the baby became a toddler. Morning naps were no longer taken, and even though his afternoon naps lasted longer, I was so worn out from chasing him around, I couldn't get anything done.
What makes it hard to be a work at home mom? Being too rigid with my time. Flexibility is a crucial component of managing both work and home. Letting my little one play outside for a few hours daily allowed him to expend pent up energy, and it let me ease up from always having to follow after him cleaning up his toys and messes.
Now my boys (plural) are teenagers. I've worked at home for the past 15 years, mostly writing and editing for various clients. Newer technology has made it possible for me to work for clients I never even meet, which keeps my car's gas bill low. Older children are much more independent and don't need my constant supervision, but I still try to work at night. They may be my big grown boys, but I still like to work while my babies sleep.
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 work for stay home moms.
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