It’s like high school all over again. I didn’t fit in with the jocks or the popular girls, but then I didn’t quite fit in with the nerds. This time though it’s the mom cliques where I am often left out. As a work from home mom, I sometimes feel left out of the discussion. It’s either you’re a working mom or a stay at home mom, but I’m somewhere in the middle. I work from home.
Now that’s a hard reality for many to grasp. In fact, when I tell people that I work from home they either assume that I sell Mary Kay or that I sell things on Etsy. Nothing is wrong with those streams of income, in fact, depending on one’s level of engagement those ventures can be just as intense. I just want to differentiate here between a hobby and a paid job. My office is a few feet away from my kitchen (though I hardly get to work there). I get pay stubs and a W2 at the end of the year–its a job.
But what makes working from home the most difficult is getting people, especially family members to understand what you do. I’ve heard “why do you need your husband to do housework when you’re home all day” and “it’s a shame that she is wasting those degrees…she could have done so much more.”
Hello! Earth to you people…I am working here and I enjoy what I do as a matter of fact. But the problem is, because I am home the assumption is that I’m not doing anything or that what I do is less significant than a mom who works outside of the home.
Neither is true. In fact, telecommuting has become a popular work option for U.S. employees. The number of people telecommuting in the U.S. increased 115% between 2005 and 2015.
The benefits abound for the work from home employee–no traffic and flexibility are two of the biggest perks. Yet, there are disadvantages to working from home. One being the fight to actually find time to work, especially when you have children. Another disadvantage is being constantly distracted either by children or chores. Do I respond to this email or stop the children from arguing over a toy they won’t even care about in an hour? Ultimately, being a work from home mom means doing both, almost simultaneously most often.
Sometimes working from home can feel like you’re working two jobs at once. It can sometimes feel like you’re a stay at home mom and a working mom all rolled up in one. You could quite possibly find yourself taking a work call while folding clothes or doing computer work while nursing a baby. The lines are constantly blurred and the work from home life can become stressful if there is no balance.
Here are some tips to help balance work from home life:
1. Wake up before the house gets up. Use this time to pray and prepare mentally, then get as much work done as you can. I am up by 5 and get at least an hour and a half of work done before starting breakfast.
2. If your children are young, use nap time to work or if they are in school work during those hours. If you homeschool, give them an assignment to work on while you focus on your work.
3. Create a schedule. While flexibility is a perk, schedules keep us on task.
4. Get help. Whether that means your husband, a nanny or Nana–get help that is consistent and reliable. You simply cannot do it all.
5. Wine down everyday. For some this means a cup of tea, for others its a bite of chocolate or a glass of wine. No matter the preference, find a way to relax and let go.
6. Treat yourself. Make time for you to do the things that refresh you. A bubble bath, girls night out, baking, or a dance class–make time for you at least once a week.
I am so grateful to be able to work from home. It has afforded me the opportunity to be there for my children, but like anything it comes with challenges. A dedicated routine, help and earlier mornings, alleviate some of the challenges and leave more room for enjoying an in-home office and working in your PJs.
What other ways do you balance working from home?
