the pros and cons of being a work-at-home mom

By Betsy, author of Funky Mama Bird

{This post is part of the Moms Who Work series.}

This September will mark the one year anniversary of my quitting my old job and beginning a new career as a writer, editor and WAHM. It's been a bumpy year, filled with challenges, growth and promotions and one that I hope is the start of a very long and prosperous career.

I get a lot of questions about being a WAHM: How is it possible with a toddler? How did I get started? How do I stay on top of things? I also get a lot of feedback from other moms who are either looking for a way to do it themselves, or who wonder how it is even possible.

Being a WAHM has been life changing for us all, and is the perfect fit for our family. I've also made it my goal to help as many other moms out there who think it will be the right fit for them, but don't know how to get started. With that said, I'd like to outline the pros and cons of being a WAHM, to help educate those of you who may be wondering if it's for you.

The Pros.

The pros are sort of obvious. I get to spend my day with my son, while doing work I love. I have a flexible schedule, which means plenty of breaks to go to the park, build block towers and play in the sink. I also have no commute. Even on the days I have a toddler hanging from my ankles, it doesn't take long to get from my kitchen to my office.

A few other pros are not as obvious, but I have discovered over the past year:

• Challenging myself.
• Growing as a person who is organized, on top of things and up to any challenge.
• A schedule that has allowed my son to thrive.

The Cons.

No matter how good the deal, there are always cons. These include being perpetually busy. I get up an hour before my son to get some work done. I work evenings and weekends if I have to, to make up for those times he just. Wouldn't. Nap. 

Finding the time to get everything done is a challenge. It means being flexible when I enjoy routine. It means working while I eat, composing emails while I sing songs and abandoning articles in the middle of them to go outside, losing my train of thought and having to start all over.

I have to be very, very organized and plan my days in advance. I also have to have a back-up plan in place, moving from one task to another if my son is preventing me from working on one. This means that we don't get out as much as I'd like. 

Not too many play dates or story hours or something that could interfere with The Nap, because I need to work. Yes, I'm home with my son, but it sometimes means sacrifices and splitting myself in two anyway.

Resources.

To be successful as a WAHM, you need to have a few things. One, is a working space that is separate from your kiddo and is child-proofed. I also find a white board handy, both for jotting down ideas and for entertaining the kiddo when he's restless.

Finally, you need support. WAHM.com is a fantastic resource and source of support for many WAHMs. Check them out for job leads and just commiseration.

Come ask me questions, too, at Funky Mama Bird or on Twitter @funkymamabird. WAHMs need to help each other as much as possible, since we don't have an office support system in place.

For further reading in this series:

• all moms work hard
• how to be a stay-at-home-mom without losing your marbles
• mom on a wire: finding balance and sanity in a home with two working parents
• you have spoken: the best and worst of being a work-outside-of-the-home mom 
• how i became a pediatrician turned stay-at-home mom

Dear mommy-friends, are you a work-at-home mom? Can you relate to the pros and cons that Betsy identified? How in the world do you juggle your responsibilities? Any tips or resources you'd like to pass along to others? OR maybe you are considering making the transition to being a WAHM... What is the appeal for you? What holds you back? Do you have any fears or apprehensions? What do you need to get started?

holding down the fort one day at a time,

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adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
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