Kelly at Wahm 2.0 has asked that we share why we love to work at home. I am only too happy to answer
because I do absolutely LOVE working from home. Yes, there are challenges…like the reality of having a pile of laundry outside your office or the guilt that comes with outsourcing some of your “mom” tasks like cooking or cleaning, but overall there is just nothing better than working from the comfort of my own home and being my own boss. I know exactly how fortunate I am to be able to do it too. I have met MANY moms, more than I can count, that would love to be able to stay home, earn money on their own terms, and be a bigger part of their own children’s lives. They feel lost as to how to make it happen and here I have succeeded! I am living the WAH life that so many moms aspire too. I am fortunate indeed.
Some of the reasons I LOVE to work at home:
* I am my own boss. I call the shots and set my own hours. If I want to sleep in, take a nap, do my work at Borders bookstore, or even skip work altogether, I get to make that call. I can also give myself as much personal time as I need and not feel guilty. I also set my own pay rates by creating my own opportunities. There is no glass ceiling to hit in my office.
* I can choose my own priorities. Working is important to me…I enjoy it and it is important to my self worth. The work I have chosen is something that is pleasurable for me and most days I feel guilty even calling what I do “work” because I enjoy it so much. That said though, I do have other priorities and I love that they don’t have to compete for my time and attention. I like to garden, read, travel, work on crafts and sewing projects, and spend time with my family. Working at home allows me to decide which priorities get my time and attention, not an employer. When my kids are sick and they need me I am there. When my hubby needs me to mend a pair of pants I can get right on it. When I want to see a movie in the middle of the day I can go. Most parents have to organize their life and their priorities around their secular work…I don’t.
* I get to raise my kids. I don’t have to be in the often times agonizing position of letting someone else raise my kids because I have to work. I get to be there for them and see all of their accomplishments and spend quality time with them that I will never get back. There won’t be any do-overs so it is important to me that they have the time and attention they need. I can take time off to go shopping, take my daughter to ballet, go to the park or a museum, and even homeschool my kids if need be. I don’t worry about scheduling conflicts, late suppers, or being too stressed to read them their bedtime stories. Being a WAHM allows me to be a very involved, hands-on mom.
* Being a WAHM gives me a great sense of accomplishment. I am a business owner and an entrepreneur. I get to create things every day and relish my success when I get paid darn good money for my hard work. I get to feel elated when I make as much as my work-outside-the-home hubby without the stress, strict hours, and long commute that he and so many others have. There is nothing like using your skills to create and then reaping the rewards. While you do feel this to some extent when you work outside the home…it is not the same. Being a well paid work at home mom is a big confidence booster.
* Having fun is my job too. I have chosen to pursue work that I am passionate about and that involves my family. Part of my job is reviewing cool new products for families, researching and reading about issues I care about, doing special work related projects with my kids, even work related travel every now and again. Our family has had many wonderful adventures in the name of my work and we have tried hundreds of great products.
Yes…I LOVE being a work at home mom!
One of my biggest “secrets” for blogging success involves carnivals and tours. Specifically I am talking about blog carnivals and blog tours and I as a blogger I don’t ignore either of these two important avenues for traffic generation and/or income.