Before I had kids I always imagined myself as a career woman. Over the years I moved from one job to another depending on where I lived. I worked as Human Resources Specialist, Warehouse Manager and in my last field as a full time job in Supply Chain Management. When my youngest was born and we moved closer to my parents I knew that none of the jobs mentioned above was possible. Thankfully, I already started to have a little bit of income through this blog which help greatly for a mum of two young children with her husband working away. However, at the moment advertising and sponsored posts through my blog are not my main income. Almost two years ago I started a different journey as a Freelancer in Digital Marketing and it’s been great an amazing journey. Finally I feel accomplished and like I can do more than just look after my daughters, I can be more than a mum. UPS of being a WAHM You are there for your children – At any point in their life you are there. When they go through something exciting, when they are ill or they just need a hug you are there for them. And almost nothing can take you away from them. I love the fact that I am their first call when they need something(although sometimes can be a real pain haha) and they know they can always rely on me for whatever they need. You can make your own working hours – As long as I make sure things are happening at the right time(thanks to scheduling programs) I can arrange my work around my girls own schedule – nursery and school run, english and ballet lessons etc. Sometimes when I know exactly whats coming I can arrange to have days off and still be paid. Bye bye commuting – This is just great! My commute time was so annoying back in my days in Bucharest or London. Having to travel for an hour and a bit to get in and from work was simply exhausting. Now I can take my laptop anywhere in the house if I want to – at the dining table, in my bedroom or on the couch. You are mobile – You can work from anywhere, So basically even if you are out in the park with your girls you can still answer tweets and comment on Facebook(well in my field anyway). What I love is the fact that you can travel for pleasure and visit places as there is some kind of internet connection anywhere you go. Your life is more balanced – Being a working mom means that you are able to have adult time as well as time with your children, giving your life a sense of balance. Spending all your time with your little ones can lead to a loss of identity as you forget who you were before you started. Downs for being a WAHM You are perpetually busy – I am always on the go and I rarely find time to relax. I woke up an hour before my girls to give myself time to make a start with work and to drink my coffee and be up for preparing them for school and nursery and for the school and nursery run. I work in the evenings and weekends even to make time for those times when my girls don’t allow me to work. Getting away is even harder – When your kids are used to me being at home it’s even harder to get away for a meal or drink with my girl friends. So sometimes even you might find a babysitter and schedule a night away you might still need to put a stop to your plans. As they are so used with me being around all the time they got quite dependant and my youngest can even start running a fever just to see me home. Isolation – When you work from home you don’t really have to get away especially these days when you can simply set chats online with programs like Skype or FaceTime. I certainly feel trapped during the kids holidays from school when it feels there is no more time for myself. You see when my girls are at school/nursery I manage to getaway for a walk around the shops or for a coffee with a friend but during holidays they are always with me. I take a LOT of Magnesium during those days. Finding time to get everything time can be a challenge – I love working around my kids schedule but sometimes you might need to do something important for work or urgent and your kid might need your attention too. Finding time to fit everything in its so difficult. Who are you going to prioritise? Your work that brings money for your family or your child that really needs you? Sometimes my days go past so fast…that I forget to get out of my pj’s or eat. Other days I work while I eat, I compose emails while I help my eldest with her maths homework or I stop some of my blog posts in the middle to go outside or for a school run. Some advice Despite everything I believe that its great being a Work at Home Mum for all the reasons i mentioned above and for some other reasons I didn’t mention yet. Sure I have to be very, very organised (and believe me that is not at all my in my nature) and plan days in advance. I also need to have a back-up plan in place – what if I need to pick my eldest from school while I am still in a meeting with my boss? Well than I need to call a friend – in my case my father, a mums colleague or even find a sitter. Yes, having someone else to help you with little things can be great as you don’t always have to be running around. Of course, you will have to put in the balance the cost of missing some work with the cost of a sitter but sometimes you just need that full day away from the kids and just do your work. Having a friend or simply someone to chat that is a work at home mum as well can be very helpful. If you live close to each other you can help each other even more. If that is not the case, than you have lots of resources online – from Facebook groups where you can chat to other mums to WAHM forum. I love the latter as is a fantastic resource and source of support for many WAHMs. Check them out for even for job leads and just commiseration. Also, a thing I am still working at – make your own space for working. It doesn’t have to be a full office but you need a place in your home where you can go and work in piece away from the distraction of the kids. You might find a mayhem when you finish working but at least you done what you had to do in peace. Recommended articles: How to Master Being a Work-at-Home Mom The Advantages of Being a Work at Home Mom Like this Article? Subscribe to Our Feed!