I love being a work from home mum, besides from the blog I also have 2 photography companies that I run with Jon, plus I still do some freelance writing on the side. Everyone always says I am so so lucky to be a work from home mum as I get to spend all my time with the little dude and I can work when ever I want, in my PJ’s, on the sofa, in a coffee shop, etc. And yes that is technically true but they also don’t see how hard it can be some time, yes I’m at home with Elian all day, yay, but also I’m at home trying to work with Elian all day…not so easy! Imagine going into your office and having a college crying and bashing about on their computer all day, asking for snacks, needing their bum changed, trying to climb on furniture, needing constant supervision, yeah difficult!
So I thought I would turn to the biggest community of work from home mums that I know, my mummy blogging crew, and ask them what the pro’s and con’s are for them. Thanks to Lucy from Hello Beautiful Bear, Julie from Pondering Parenthood, Alex from Lamb and Bear, Becky from The Mummy Adventure, Emma from Freelance Lifestyle, Hannah from Budding Smiles, for all your input ladies, I think we managed to put across a fair argument for both sides and have shown the reality of being a work from home mum
Pro’s
- Flexibility with your time and schedule
- Being able to chose your colleagues and clients/no office politics
- No dress code or uniform (PJ’s and unicorn slippers if you really want!)
- The amount of time you actually get to spend with your kids
- You get to be at home to witness all the milestones
- You can binge watch trashy TV all day, have youtube on in the background, or listen to your favourite CD’s without colleges to worry about
- Getting to be involved in the kids school life, picking them up and dropping them off, attending concerts and trips
- Picking and choosing your workload, at least to a certain extent
- Ability to be more creative
- Being in charge of your own business and your working life
- No commuting
Con’s
- Little meaningful face to face adult interaction or banter with colleagues
- Finding time to actually sit down and do work, uninterrupted or without constant distractions
- Your baby constantly smacks and closes your laptop
- You often only get to work during nap time, which is never guaranteed
- People don’t take your work as seriously when you work from home compared to if you go somewhere to work. People will often change plans or just expect you to be able to do something in the day because your ‘not in work’
- Never being able to switch off, having an endless ‘to do’ list and constantly being contactable due to social media
- Hard to be motivated when you know there is house work to be done, easy to get distracted or procrastinate
- Loss of personal identity
- No guarantee of income, constant need to chase clients or sales
There’s A Lot You’re Responsible For
Beyond the everyday challenges of balancing work and childcare, being a work from home mum also places a significant responsibility on your shoulders when it comes to managing your business’s compliance with various regulations, one of which includes DMA privacy laws. This is especially pertinent for those of us who run online businesses or handle any form of customer data.
It’s not just about keeping your child away from your laptop anymore; it’s about ensuring that your work practices are secure, your client’s data is protected, and your business operations are in line with the latest digital privacy standards.
This adds another layer to the multitasking you’re already doing, from vetting the tools and software you use for work, to staying updated on legal requirements that impact how you market your services or products. The need to be constantly aware and proactive in these areas can be as demanding as any physical task, making it clear that our roles extend far beyond what’s traditionally expected from a mum or a business owner.
So although most of us who are work from home mums love the freedom it gives us and the one to one time we get to spend with our children it is also super challenging to juggle both work and children at the same time. But most of us wouldn’t really have it any other way.
If you fancy trying blogging as a work from home job, you can find some beginners tips here
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