Whether or not you work from home is not always an easy decision to make. Before you do make the decision though, you will need to take into account a few things.
Moms and dads (wahms/wahds) who are working from home are growing in popularity. Many men and women want to be able to spend more time with their families. By having one parent stay home helps to save on day care and so on,
yet a second income may be necessary.
Whether or not you work from home is not always an easy decision to make though. Before you do make the decision you will need to take into account a few things.
1) Is working from home really the right thing for you and your family?
There are some decent benefits to working from home. You get to set your own hours, you no longer have to commute to and from work, and if the kids need you, you are there for them. However, there is a downside to consider. Some days, juggling family time and work time can be difficult, or should I say, a challenge.
2) Your present financial situation may suffer substantially in the beginning.
Making the wahm decision may involve leaving a high-paying full-time job in order to work part-time from home while you take care of the kids. You will likely find that there will be some financial adjustments. However, you will no longer be paying day care fees, which will save money.
When you think about, if you can at least make the same amount of money or even more by working part-time from home and looking after the kids yourself, it's worth it to stay home. And what about all the other perks of raising your own kids while still earning money for the household, there are so many. Remember, they're only young once, and to be able to stay at home with them is one of the top reasons why men and women choose a Wahm or Wahd career.
To be a successful work at home mom or dad you will need to have the following qualities or at the very least learn to develop them.
1) Self-motivation and Discipline
If you decide to work from home, your business will fit into one of two categories. You will work as an independent contractor or you will work for yourself. Whichever category you fit in, you will be responsible for your own work schedule. You will require a great deal of self-motivation and be able to work well without having the presence of dominating leadership in your place of work. Even if you do choose to work from home but for another company, you are still responsible for meeting deadlines etc.
2) Time Management is another good skill to have if you decide to work from home
Each day that you work outside of the home, you know that you are faced with the challenges of what things you will need to get done. For example, laundry, house cleaning, taking the kids from one recreational event to another, the list is endless.
When you are working from home and if you focus too much time on your work, your household duties will suffer and vice versa. Acquiring good time management skills will assist you in tackling the many different challenges of working from home.
A lot of thought and consideration needs to go into making the Wahm decision. If you are thinking of working from home for any reason, be it to spend more time with the family or other financial reasons. Take some time and write down the pros and cons to be considered. Discuss the idea with your family; be sure that you are doing the right thing for the whole family.
There are many resources online for anyone who is looking to learn more about the realities of working from home. Once you have thought-through your position and completed the essential research, you will then be much better equipped to make the right decision for you and your family.
