I’d like to preface this by saying that all moms have it hard: stay-at-home moms, working moms, work-at-home moms. None of this business is easy. I am 100% pulling from my own experience and would be more than interested to hear your experience in the comments below!
I get it all the time: You are so lucky you get to work from home. But guess what? Working from home with tiny humans is really freaking hard.
The guilt is constant. I feel guilty about ignoring my kids when I need to concentrate and get things done. I feel guilt about how messy the house is on a daily basis. The guilt is extra strong on the two mornings per week I drop the boys at daycare. I feel guilty that I suck at consistent schedules, that I don’t set up super fun Pinterest-worthy activities for them, I let them watch too much TV, they see me on a computer a lot, the list goes on and on and ON.
I’m not perfect but I at least know I’m doing my very best. Small reminders that I’m not totally screwing up my kids help, too. Like in this list of the good things that come from being a work-at-home mom, the things that keep me going:
The kids are witnessing hard work in action.
My boys know their dad is a hard worker but they never get to see him actually working. Often we all do our “work” together at the kitchen table: me with my laptop and the boys with their paper and markers. They do their work while I do mine. Another way I keep them in the loop is when I ask them about their days after I pick them up from daycare, I tell them about mine too.
Today mama designed new mugs, packaged up orders for the mailman and typed a lot on her computer answering emails.
I love that now they ask about my day and know that I’m not leaving them for no reason at all.
The hidden perks of working from home like wearing yoga pants all day.
I know, I know, I knoooow. Dress for success and all that BS but I’d be lying if I said not having to wear real pants or a bra during my work day wasn’t a huge reason I made the leap to work from home, I’d be a big fat liar. It’s literally the best.
Also, my refrigerator/pantry is right there making snack breaks easy. Same goes for the bathroom–no public pooping!
Flexibility
One of the main reasons Tyler and I made the decision for me to work from home full time is so I could be around for the kids. When Harrison starts school in the fall, this WAHM gig will allow me to do drop off/pick up and go to any school functions during the day. I feel incredibly lucky to have a flexible schedule that will allow that.
The flexibility works the other way too–my schedule allows me to do things for myself and my business during the day. I can schedule a photoshoot in the middle of the day while the kids are at daycare or I can go for a run during the day when I’m in a creative rut to try to pull myself out of it.
I feel more like a human being
As much as this makes me feel guilty to admit (boo!), I am not the mom who can constantly play with her kids or be involved in every aspect of their life. I love my kids so hard but they do not define me as a human. My business helps keep me sane by being my creative outlet and giving me purpose.
It’s not a perfect system and I sure as hell don’t have it figured out but I do know how important it is to remember the good things that come from being a WAHM.
What are some of the good things I missed? Let me know in the comments!
Just stopping by to note that it was very honoring of you, Brittany, to acknowledge all the kinds of mothers in your preface. As a too-soon-back-to-work mother back in the day with our two now-college kids, your writing here made me both glad for the opportunities WAHM have and made me admire the strength of their commitment, too. And although both home and work-place environments have much work to accomplish to better support families, I have seen greater awareness and greater support in the last decade for all kinds of mothers. Write on and work on – from home!💙
Thank you, Karen! Work-life balance is super freaking hard no matter what the situation is. Thank you so much for reading!! xo
I’ve been working from home for 6 years now, and for the last 2.5 years I’ve been a mom. It’s a blessing and a curse. I love being able to see my kids when they wake up, and pick them up from daycare whenever I want, versus having to wait until the boos lets me go at 5pm. The best thing about working from home, is being able to clean my house while on conference calls!!! Seriously, I have no idea how I cleaned or did laundry when I worked in an office..and I was childless!!
You’re rocking the WAHM thing!!!