HOW I MAKE WORKING FROM HOME WORK FOR MY FAMILY


 

 More and more moms are finding ways to make money and still be able to stay home to raise their babies. The opportunities really are endless and once you figure out if this could work for your family , the possibilities are as high as you can let yourself imagine.

 

I have been working my at home small shop for just over 7 years now. The reasons for me wanting to put all I could into this dream are probably the same as most moms. 

 

1)I’m a creative person by nature so working my craft gives me the personal fulfillment I crave. 2) I wanted to be with my son, I wanted to be there for all his firsts and be the one to kiss his skinned knee. My husbands job takes him away from home a lot and I didn’t want to see my son spend most of his time with a non- parent. 3) childcare was going to take a huge chunk out of the money I made if I worked out of the home . 4) commuting to and from work was going to leave me very few hours left in the day to do all the life things. 

 

I’ll just say that the first few years were tough, really tough!! The only thing that got me through was the excitement I had for my business. There were many many days where I worked 18 hours to complete my to do list. There were many times I cried from the exhaustion!! I’m a people pleaser by nature and a perfectionist to boots so these two things were a huge obstacle for me. 

I worked early in the mornings before my newborn was awake and through every nap time I worked the business. When my husband got home from work in the evening I headed straight to my studio( this was hard on both of us ) and my family suffered because of those choices. 

 

So here are some of the things I leaned along the way.

 

  1. Balance is key - my business had become so much of who I was . It gave me meaning and fulfilled me in so many ways. But when things started to fall apart around me , it forced me to step back and take perspective. I wasn’t willing to lose everything else in order to have a great business. So, I had to find balance. Balance to me looks like ; set work hours , scheduled time off , family vacations, date nights , family dinners, set time for one on one with my son. And let me just say that when you have a small business and something comes up you need to deal with , you do need to deal with it, cause that’s just how it is. And my family understands that.. they understand cause I would only cancel or change plans with them if it was due to something crucial.
  2. Community - working from home can be lonely. This isn’t just for working moms , this is for every mom. Find a community of sisters you can talk to. I have a couple groups of other small shop business owners and moms that are my bffs. We talk about life, recipes , kids and bitch about our husbands. It has made a huge difference in my day to day life. 
  3. Asking for help- this one is a big deal for me cause I still find it hard. I think it’s because as a mom who stays home to work, I feel like I have had to prove myself and what I do to ppl. “ like it’s not a real job because I don’t leave my house to do it” You will need help some days. Maybe it’s to help you spring clean the house , or inventory your shop, or get your son to soccer during the babies nap time or maybe you need someone to watch the kids while you take a walk. DO IT !! Don’t let anyone make you feel like you aren’t worthy of asking for help. And if someone offers NEVER EVER Say no!!
  4. Ok this one I’m still working on. Do not take what some people will say behind a keyboard to heart. Not everyone will be kind or like you , and not everyone will appreciate what you do , that’s just how it is! And even worse , some people will say the most obnoxious, or mean things to you through emails or messages. Most times this is about them , not you . If you made a mistake, fix it , but don’t let someone else’s opinion of you or what you do effect you. It’s not easy if you are sensitive or a people pleaser like me. I’m still shocked at how some people will treat a total stranger. I always believe in being kind but not everyone does.

I am so grateful for what my small shop has brought to my life and for all it has given my family. Working from home has its challenges for sure and it’s not for everyone but it can be so rewarding and bring opportunities to a SAHM they might not have had otherwise. 

 

So if it’s your dream go out and get it girl, you can do anything you set your mind to. 

 

Sandra x

 

 

 

 

 

 


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