I am a work at home mom. Let me state that I am also a single work at home mom and, like everyone else I have my own set of challenges and I manage them everyday. Some days are tougher than others but it is all done on a one day at a time system. My children are both school age now and that has helped a great deal with my decision to work from home. Obviously my business is that of writing. I have a set amount of articles I must write each day to make ends meet. I do my writing around my children and their needs. At first I did not think I could do it but each day it got better than the day before. Staying focused is the key. Setting the goals and reaching them while raising my children is a challenge but is the most rewarding challenged I have ever faced.
Sleeping late does not happen in this house. I have my early risers to thank for that. I start my day before sunrise. The first hour belongs to me. This is my time to shower and get my coffee. I have personal writing to do in my journal and I make time for that at the beginning and the end of everyday. My chores are not difficult. I knock them out before my kids get up to get ready for school. They are pretty self sufficient so I am only here to remind what time it is and how much time they have left to ready themselves for the day. I use this time to pull up the news and weather and enjoy my coffee. If I am lucky I can slip in an article before I take them to school.
Once I drop them off I have seven solid hours to myself. I save my errands until the end of the week so all of time is given to my job, my writing. Some days I meet my quota and some days I do not. My worst enemy is the telephone. I have learned how to write and talk at the same time. I can’t shut myself completely away from the world. I love writing so much that it would be easy to do if no one ever called to check on me. I stay focused on my topics and proceed from there. My children will be out of school soon for the summer and I will be running their summer camp while continuing to write each day. I have a schedule already outlined and I have introduced it to my children so they know what to expect.
When the summer vacation gets here I will do a little more of my writing at night. My children will need my attention and they will get it. I will be there to guide and instruct them but I will also have parts of my day devoted to my career. I want to write, I have to write because that is what my financial income is based on. I could go out and get a 9 to 5 job but I truly do not want to do anything else but write. I would have the very expensive daycare bill if I worked outside of the home and being single with one income it would be ridiculous for me put out that kind of money when I can put it to far better use in household expenses. Working from home may not make sense to some people and to others it can not be done any other way. It is a personal choice and it is very possible.
