Home Based Working Mothers
Being able to work at home is, for many women, the answer to a prayer. Working at home is the solution to the problem of wanting to stay at home and care for their children while still earning an income. Although working at home is the answer to one set of problems, it brings with it another set of problems which have to be resolved if the stay at home mother is going to become a successful home based working mother.
The first thing to do is to establish a workable routine which enables you to devote time to your business while ensuring that your partner and children don’t feel left out. Strange though it may sound, this means asking them for help. You probably feel reluctant to do this as it seems like you are putting an extra burden on them but your partner should understand that you are now a family with two working parents and it would be unfair for all the household responsibilities to remain in your shoulders alone.
A request for help like this will usually make your family feel that you are involving them in your life and, because they feel needed instead of being shut out, the help will be given willingly. Your partner and older children will understand that you can’t be expected to do everything on your own and even toddlers will be eager to join in to help with the rest of the family. Being allocated their own chores gives children a sense of responsibility which is something they enjoy from a very early age. Chores like unloading the dishwasher or laying the table for a meal or making beds can easily be delegated; they are only small tasks but, when you are starting your own business, every minute you can call your own counts.
Having enlisted the help of your family, the next thing you need to do is to write out your timetable. The more detailed you can make your timetable, the more help it will be to you, but having a simple daily to-do list will be a great help. A page-a-day diary or calendar is very useful for keeping a record of appointments, vacation dates etc. It is also a good idea to jot down notes of business financial transactions for reference when you do your tax return.