Work-at-Home Mom Life – The Raw Truth

Is the work-at-home mom life for you, or as I call it, the stay-at-home working mom life?

You’re so lucky to be able to work from home!

That’s the sentence I get all the time. Yes, I completely agree, and I would never want it to be any other way. I am super fortunate to have a flexible job where I can drop off and pick up my kids from school.

When my babies were younger, I could breastfeed at home, give snuggles whenever I wanted, and not have that extra pressure of pumping all day at a desk job. If my children are ever sick, I am able to move around my work schedule in order to take care of them.

The Work-at-Home Mom Life Downside

With all these good and positive aspects of working from home also come some really tough ones.

Suffering from Mom Guilt

For me, one of the most difficult parts of being a work-at home mom is the dreaded mom guilt. Being able to pick up my son from school doesn’t mean my job stops at 2:30pm. It’s difficult for a 3-year-old to understand that when mommy is on a conference call, he needs to be quiet. All he wants to do is play with me and have my undivided attention. And, although I am fortunate to have a nanny two days a week, it can also be really tough to hear your baby crying from the next room and not feel guilty about missing the chance to soothe him. Here is a great article on mom guilt with some helpful tips on how to get through it!

Being Supermom

Many people don’t talk about or truly understand this topic unless they work from home themselves or don’t have a typical nine-to-five desk job. Because I don’t have a typical desk job, it feels like I am in a constant battle to prove myself to everyone. It’s always an uphill climb to earn the same respect as everyone else who works full-time. Working from home means you are ultimately responsible for the kids, the house, and every other chore that needs to be done.

And, of course, your paying job!

It can become extremely demanding on anyone and is certainly tough for me personally to balance it all.

Know your limits, and ask for help when you need it! My husband takes on kid duties when he gets home from work to give me time to finish up a task or just get a little me time and a mental break from the day. No one can do it all.

Distractions, Distractions…

And let me tell you, if you are looking to change career paths and work from home, you better be really good at fighting off distractions! My worst enemy. In order to stay on task and do my job more efficiently from home, I’ve learned a few important tricks over the past year and half.

1. Find a coffee shop or quiet place where you can do your work. If you are lucky enough to have a sitter or if your kids are in school, find a place you can physically go outside of your home in order to get things done. I have two spots in my neighborhood where I know I can’t be distracted. I can focus all of my attention to accomplishing my tasks for the day.
2. Be super organized and schedule your important calls and work during “nap time.” I work best while the kiddos sleep. First thing in the morning, try to plan out your day as best as you can, and map out what you want to get accomplished by the end of the day. Dedicate baby’s naps to what needs to be finished that day.
3. Find toys and activities that encourage independent play. Play dough. Sticker book activities. If it’s warm, take the kids outside to run or play with a water table. And when all else fails and your kiddos are behaving, let them have a little screen time. If I know I have a call, I usually save screen time for that moment. Fill up a bowl with your little ones’ favorite snacks and let them choose one show to watch.

Final Thoughts on Work-at-Home Mom Life

It turns out that I’m not alone in my hardships with working from home, but even with a few negatives, the work-at-home life really does work for me and my family.

My final bit of advice is to remind yourself that you are a kick-ass, multi-tasking, supermom, career woman every day! I am so proud of the business my sisters and I created. I love waking up every day knowing how hard we work to do it all. So don’t be so tough on yourself. You are doing your best and showing your kiddos what hard work looks like. Be proud of what you do every day!

xo,

Carrie