Finding Time to Work at Home
A lot of moms have been writing or leaving comments lately about looking for ways to earn money without spending too much time. There are assorted reasons for this, but here are a few of the top ones:
1. They have full-time jobs and can only spend a little time after the kids are in bed.
2. They have small children at home and are only able to work in bits and pieces.
3. They have a sick child and are frequently in doctor’s offices or the hospital.
All of these scenarios drastically complicate things, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible to earn money. It just means you’ll have to go about things a little differently.
Let’s look at each scenario a little closer.
1. Full Time Job
With the economy so rocky these days, it’s not surprising more moms want to earn money from home in addition to their regular income. It can really help a struggling family establish a nest egg.
In this case, you’ll need to decide just how dedicated you are to working at home. It’s not going to be easy, particularly if you still want to see your kids! The best way to do this is to set very concrete goals, both daily and weekly. Be realistic as to how much you can do with the time you have. Then start getting up an hour earlier in the morning if you are a morning person, or staying up an hour later if you are a night person.
You may need to make some sacrifices in the beginning. Skipping your morning jog or cutting it short to get more time in, or bringing a bag lunch to work so you can spend your break working on your business are a couple of ways to boost productivity.
2. Small Children
This is how I work, so I am VERY familiar with the challenges of getting anything done when you have little ones in the house. My sons are 2 and 3 and while they play happily together part of the time, they do require a lot of attention. I’m fortunate enough to have a musician husband who is home during the day to help look after my kids, but we spent quite a bit of time before he was able to do this with just me and the boys.
In this case, you’ll have to make time for your business. Hire a teen to come hang out with the kids while you get something done, send them to Grandma’s house for a day or arrange playdates where you can switch kids, so you have them one day a week and your friend has them one day a week.
3. Sick Kid
I’ve also spent my fair share of time in the hospital while my oldest son was going through corrective surgeries and while that part of our life is over for now, I know how frustrating it can be to spend hours sitting around in a dull waiting room while your child undergoes treatments, or long nights beside their bed in the hospital.
Unfortunately, most families with kids who need frequent hospitalization and tests are even more in need of dual incomes, so you have extra motivation to get earning.
Portability is key in this type of situation. You certainly have time on your hands, the question is what to do with it. Again, a well thought out business plan and daily, weekly and monthly goals are vital in this case. It isn’t always easy to think straight when you are running on no sleep or being interrupted with a sick child every so often, so having the list of what you need to do right in front of you is important and will help keep you on track.
Do you have any tips for moms facing these situations?
Internet holds some possibilities for earning money working from home. As I know, there are people that earn a decent amount of money with different affiliate programs. From my personal experience though, there is a substantial learning curve before one can utilize the benefits of affiliate marketing.
The internet does provide some very good possibilities. One you have a great set of sites uploaded, they become passive income to you.
When I was getting started I had a full time job and also 2 “full time” kids. I found the only few hours I could find were if I got up early each morning. I did it for 5 months (getting up at 4.30am) and now I finally have been able to cut back my hours to part time to dedicate more time to my internet business…just wanted to share what worked for me. Good luck
“The internet does provide some very good possibilities. One you have a great set of sites uploaded, they become passive income to you.” – I think you have to continue improving and developing your sites all the time – otherwise their revenue will decrees drastically – so it’s not exactly a passive income..
wonderful site you have here great information thanks so much will return when i have more time to read
Not completely passive, but also not a 9-5 job. And many people do leave their older sites to continue bringing in money. i agree with you, Joss, that there is some maintenance needed, though.
Thanks for the input, Hannah! I’m impressed with your dedication to your business. I’m a real monster if I get up at 4:30, but I do well at the other end of the spectrum, staying up until 2 am.
Hi; I am not a work at home mom, but I am doing work on the internet. I was researching home business ideas and run acorss your blog. I have to say it is a very good looking site with some really good information. I work a full time job, (about 60 hours a week) and I tend to the kids in the evening, get them to bed then spend about two to three hours on the internet trying to make an online business. It is very trying but I am certain that in the near future it will payoff. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the world. If you have time come visit my site, it is full of information, even for moms working at home.
Since my little one at home is almost 2 years old, I am still having a hard time finding bits and pieces to work. Most of my work gets done during her nap time which is atleast 2 hours long, and after I put the kids to bed. I seem to be the most productive.
Any tips to put into my schedule is greatly appreciated.
Heather @ Mortgage Modification
It take a great deal of motivation and committment to be able to squeeze those extra hours to work at home when you already got a full time work.
It’s doable but you’ll have to sacrifice alot before you reap the rewards.
I like this blog. Great solid information.
Thanks – there are so many great ideas here