Misconceptions of Working from Home:

Thinking that it will be easier than working outside of the home -

No! There are both good and bad in both, but working from home with children is difficult, demanding and exhausting. Firstly you have to come up with a realistic home business idea It takes a lot of energy and stamina, sometimes staying up late into the wee hours of the morning getting little sleep. Sometimes you have to cram on a project because your child gets sick, needs help with homework, the baby keeps you up all night, etc. Being a work at home parent means that you have to somehow fit parenting and working into the same place! Sometimes you have to work with your three year old tugging at you for attention, and you have to finish the project first, then play.

Pros of Working from Home:

The obvious ones are that there’s no commute, you get to create your own hours and that you can wear whatever you want! It’s not all bad and difficult being a work at home parent, there are some pros. You get to be there for your child when they need you. You get to be there for all of their milestones. You get to watch them leave on the bus, and be there at the bus stop when they return. You get to be there when they need help with their homework, or to talk about their day. It’s simply a matter of working both work and family time together – making a schedule for both. It can be easy to become too involved in work, and forget about your parental responsibilities. It’s just a matter of good time management and communication.

Traits of a Successful Work at Home Parent:

1. Persistence

2. Determination

3. Hard Work

4. Good Business Sense

5. Good Time Management

6. Support from Your Spouse or other Family and Friends

Get Started! (Family Meeting, Choosing a Career, etc.):

Family Meeting -

You will need to start out with good communication with your family. Hold a family meeting with everyone and explain your plans of working from home. Answer any questions your family may have, and make sure you let them know that when you are working they need to resist the urge to interrupt you. If you have already made a schedule of when you will be working during the day, explain it to them and maybe post it somewhere where everyone can see it everyday.

Choose a Career -

Finally, you need to choose what you want to do if you haven’t already. If you haven’t, this could be the hardest part. Start brainstorming about what you could do.

What are your hobbies, work experience, etc.? What do you really love to do? That is what you should create a work at home career from – what you love to do. Some days will be tough, but if you choose a career that you truly love to do, it can seem like getting paid for something you would be doing anyway. That’s a great thing when you work from home