Archive for August, 2009

Being a Work-At-Home Mom – And Loving It!

Posted August 3rd, 2009 by Carolyn Joy Villanueva · 1 comment
Tagged General, making money, parenting

Yep, that’s me – a stay-at-home mom and right where I want to be. It doesn’t exactly mean though, that this is where I’ve always imagined myself to be at. After all, “a work-at-home mom” isn’t exactly the usual answer when you ask a young girl what she wants to be when she grows up.

It would be so easy to say that full-time parenting beckoned at me, or that I simply wanted to be my own self, free from the trappings that the corporate life can sometimes hold us in, but then again, that wouldn’t be an accurate picture of it, either. To put it simply,

My being a work-at-home parent had nothing to do with noble or grand aspirations, and everything to do with what needed to be done at that time.

Calling it a lifeline or a last resort would be nearer the truth.

I started a (working) life online as a freelance writer and blogger through oDesk.com less than a year ago and haven’t looked back since. In the span of 9 months, I was able to clock in 1,000 hours already just last week. I refer to it is as my millennia moment. Yey!

So, what could be cooler than this? Well, not counting the times when I wish I could just magically disappear from a bunch of screaming kids, and excluding the sleepless nights when a deadline is looming, not much actually. I earn a pretty decent income and get to be with my kids while they are still young enough to love the fact that their mom is around all the time. The clamor for attention does get to be a pain sometimes but I always remind myself to just savor these moments before the time comes when they would prefer to hang out with everyone else except (sob) me.

If there’s one common misconception about being a stay-at-home parent, it’s that of the job being easy. You read that practically everywhere. So at the risk of being called repetitive, let me just say it one more time:

Working from home is far from easy.

If only people get it the first, second, or nth time, we wouldn’t have to repeat it so often. Let me give you a quick rundown of why the job of a full time parent and freelance online worker wouldn’t be right up everyone’s alley:

  • You’d need to spend longer hours. That, or refuse some jobs which, in my book, just doesn’t go. I typically work about 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week, but the days and hours are flexible so I can still attend to my kids and their PTA meetings.
  • More is expected from you. If you had an 8-5 job at the office, you wouldn’t be expected to cook dinner, clean up after the kids, pay the bills, and entertain visitors, right? But a super stay-at-home mom does all that, and work too.
  • No more lunch dates or movie nights with the girls. The office girls, that is. Sure, my social circle’s become smaller and I go out a lot less than before, but it works for me. Personally, I’d rather catch up on sleep. And on the upside, my wardrobe isn’t exactly an issue now.
  • There are so many distractions that could keep you off track. You think staying away from the occasional chat while working in the office is tough? Try working online without someone looking over your shoulder. Between Youtube, Netflix, and Second Life, there’s plenty of non-productive stuff to be had. Unless you’re paid to review movies or try out online games, your income could suffer a serious dent.

    • Knowing all these now, would I still go up this path given the chance to do it over again? In a heartbeat. Right now, the kids are still giggling, unable to settle down without their customary goodnight cuddles. Hmmm… looks like duty calls.

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