Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Work at Home Mom - The Secret to Success by Jeff Casmer

Becoming a work at home mom can be a trying experience. Your patience is tested. You're making sacrifices you never expected to and you are taking risks that you never had to before. You are suddenly being challenged within many different realms when you become a work at mom or dad for that matter. But this article is about women.

Despite the many successful home-based businesses being run by women, some women still feel a little uneasy getting into the work at home game. You're no longer just another employee; you are a business woman. And business, despite the changes, is still heavily dominated by men.

Its not that women don't feel as if they deserve to be among the top players or that a work at home mom feels less valuable than a work at home dad, its that many women see themselves as mothers first and entrepreneurs second.

You would think that having your family and business under the same roof would help to fuse the dichotomies but unfortunately some women still feel as though they are in a tug of war between a happy home and a profitable business.

The most frequent complaint among work at home moms is that they feel guilty. They feel guilty when they working to establish a successful business because that takes them away from their kids. They feel guilty when they are spending time with their kids because that takes them away from their business.

Women want to have it all. And they should. A work at home mom should not feel guilty for prioritizing one over the other. The key to a successful and less stressful work at home life is balance.

1) Get Support

The first thing to do is to get the family involved. Your husband and children will bother you less if they support you. With the right incentives you can get them to help out with household chores. For example, if you mention that you have a big project to get done but that you'll treat them to pizza and a movie when you get paid you've given them something to look forward to.

For younger children ask them to help out. Have them stuff envelopes or set up a small desk for your toddler to color next to you. Including them in your work day makes them feel important to your work life and your home life.

2) Set up a routine

If you were working outside the home you would have a timetable. There would be a set amount of time you devoted to work and time that was spent with your family. Working inside the home as a work at home mom is no different. Your family needs to understand that while you are at home, you are working.

However, you now have the advantage of working at your own pace and on your own timetable. If you want to spend the majority of the day with your kids at the park and spend the evenings working you can do that. Some mothers can only get in hours when their kids are napping.

However, routine is important. If your kids know that at certain times of the day you are working, they will be less likely to bother you.

Include your home and personal life into your timetable. Your kids and husband will not appreciate you working for 15 hours.

As a work at home mom you will experience some ups and downs but it is worth it if you manage to create the life you want.

About the Author

Jeff Casmer is a leading legitimate work at home expert and is a work from home business owner. His "Top Ranked" Work at Home Moms Directory gives you all the information you need to Work at Home in the 21st century.

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