What if you could be a house-wife, able to prepare healthy meals for your kids and be there for them when they get back from school, without compromising your financial independence? This seems like a pipe dream for a lot of women. Sure, there are some that would not stay at home even for a million dollars, but there are others who feel the sting of guilt whenever they cart their children to childcare and wish they could spend a little more time with the family but financial obligations make it impossible. If this is you, know that it does not have to be that way.
I am a WAHM (work at home mum). Long before I met my husband, I knew that I would always put my family first before any career; but I am a career girl at heart. When we came to Malaysia, working was impossible. I had the choice to sit at home and be on facebook each day, but I decided that if I was going to be on the internet for most of the day, I would make it count. And I have.
Becoming a WAHM
If you want to be a WAHM though, the first thing you need to do is to discuss it with your spouse and if you have school age children, with them too. This is really important because without the support of your family, you are going to have an uphill task.
You see, you are combining two really challenging roles. Anyone who has been a stay at home mum knows that it can be back breaking work keeping the house clean, the family fed and the accounts balanced. When you combine that with working from home, you know that you need all the help and support you can get. I have a lady who takes my daughter 5 days a week so I can get some work done. There are also support groups you can tap into-some are online.
Skill Assessment
Next, you need to know what your skills are and where your interests lie. Not everyone is an entrepreneur and you might find it easier to work for someone else, doing stuff like audio transcription or freelance writing. However if you have a problem working for one boss you might decide to start your own online business.
If you decide to start your online business, there are several ideas you can work with, such as being a Virtual Assistant (VA). You can check here for even more ideas.
One thing you need to know though is that you will not be able to do a lot of what you used to do before you began working. But that’s okay. You need to learn to let some things go (the house cannot be spick and span 100% of the time). It is all about balance. Oh and one more thing: BEWARE OF WORK AT HOME SCAMS! There are so many out there that you really need to be careful. One pointer is to avoid anyone who asks you to pay to work at home. If you need to dish out money to get the work, try somewhere else.
When next I post about WAHMs, I’ll share some tips for making it online – some I have implemented and others I’m still learning.
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