Sticky Fingers And Wet Kisses: The Pitfalls Of Work At Home Moms

Who wouldn't think being able to make an income while also staying home to raise your children wasn't the perfect situation? While you work on your computer, your well-behaved toddler happily entertains himself at your feet. Or you can be closing that big deal over the phone with a client while also icing your child's birthday cupcakes. Those are some of the idyllic situations everyone seems to picture when they first consider working from home. It's perfect. You can have it all without any fuss, right?

Well, not so fast. The reality that work-at-home moms often face can very different. A child's schedule isn't predictable. You might be constantly interrupted from your work at the computer, turning a 5 to 10 minute task in an office setting into an hour-long ordeal. And your precious toddler might decide to throw an ear-splitting tantrum a few minutes into that important call with your most important client.

So, as in much of life; especially when one has children, the dream isn?t quite the same as reality. What are the pitfalls of working from home and being a mother? What can happen to trip up that happy image?

First, you need time to get the work done. In order to do this, you may want to consider hiring a babysitter or nanny to watch after your little ones while you work. The babysitter or nanny can keep your kids entertained and safe. However, this is an extra cost that can severely reduce your earnings. If you have an older child, you may be able to enlist him or her to watch the younger ones. This isn't a perfect solution. You will still be frequently called upon to break up arguments and soothe hurt feelings whenever the siblings don't agree.

Children aren't the only ones who will interrupt your work. If you have pets at home, you'll often be pulled away from your desk to tend to their needs as well. One mom who runs a lucrative business with on-line auctions quickly learned that her dog would go crazy whenever the delivery van would come to the house. She would have to settle down her dog down, who was barking loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss, while also having to deal with the delivery man and keep her children happy. But what can she do? Her children love that dog. And so does she.

One way to find some uninterrupted work time is to work at night when the children are all tucked into their beds. Some moms find jobs that give them the flexibility to do this such as bookkeeping or taking customer service calls at night. This is not a cure all, however. You need to take care of yourself and get the sleep your body needs. Otherwise, you'll be facing the next day cranky and drowsy. If you do decide to work at night, don't forget that afternoon naps can be just as refreshing for adults as it is for your kids.

Work-at-home moms face other pitfalls as well. The pay is often low. And worse, there are some employers who routinely reject contract work, claiming poor quality in order to avoid having to pay at all. Rarely do businesses offer healthcare or retirement benefits. It takes careful budgeting and planning to make sure you will have the means to take care of yourself in your elder years.

Finally, the worst pitfall of working from home and being a mother is the lack of adult contact. There is no water cooler chatter of coffee break gossip; mom?s day is full of sticky fingers, ?look what I found under the leaves,? and candy coated wet kisses. The pitfall most moms would choose any day.

Article Source: http://www.health-fitness-for-all.com

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