We all know that staying home with kids is a ton of work in itself, but unfortunately, it doesn’t pay the bills. When we enter into this world as a stay-at-home mom, it may be for a variety of reasons. It could be due to the expense of childcare, or because you want to, or because you want to be home with your children. No matter the reasons behind it, you may find yourself missing not being able to contribute financially to the household. I know I did.
Staying home with kids is hard
Finding balance as a work-from-home mom feels impossible
Some days my kids spend time playing nicely together, and I can knock some stuff out. Other days, they’re super needy or just want to play with me. I love being home with my kids, so I do my best to know when to work and when to stop, but it’s not always easy.
There’s a delicate balance between making money and keeping my sanity when I work from home. It’s so easy to burn out when I’m trying to do everything. Between taking care of my kids and working, it feels like I’m “on” all the time.
My brain has a hard time shifting out of work mode, and even when I’m doing stuff for the kids, I find that I stay in this state. It can be difficult finding time when I am not working. Finding the time to relax and do things for myself is especially difficult with all of the pressures to take care of my family, contribute to finances, and still have time to do other stuff. And when I finally do take a break, I feel bad that I didn’t make as much as in other months.
Yes, freelancing and/or working from home with kids can be difficult to manage, but to be able to be with the ones I love and do what I love is worth the guilt and overwhelming feeling that I sometimes experience. I’ve now learned that knowing when to take a break is key to keeping myself sane — because nothing functions right if mom doesn’t function right.
