When our grandparents had kids, very few mums worked while also taking care of their kids. Women have fought long and hard for the right to work, and while they now have that right, it's still not on the same level as men. In most families, women are in charge of raising most of the children. It can be hard to balance this with the need or desire to work. I have been so guilty of feeling like giving up work will throw away all the qualifications I had gathered, all my hard work and sleepless nights just to be a ........mum!
Get more time with your family
It is almost like I was being torn towards excelling in my career and being a really good mum to my children. How would I survive, can I make enough to maintain my lifestyle. These questions haunted me constantly and I decided to take the plunge.
Learn from an ex-teacher and stay-at-home mum of 3 boys
Let me introduce myself, my name is Anika Dawson and I am an ex-teacher from London with 3 boys. I have been a stay-at-home mum since 2011 and I want to share my experiences with you as well as take you through a free series of top secrets that you may not know and help prepare you to be a stay-at-home mum.
If you've worked for most of your adult life and now want to be a stay-at-home mom, the change can be hard. I can tell you, it was extremely hard for me. You'll be used to having your own money, and if you're like most women, it might feel weird to spend money you didn't earn on things like clothes and makeup for yourself. (That's if you have a partner)Your logical brain may know that you deserve it because you are taking care of the child you and your partner made together, but that doesn't mean it always feels right. If you're a single parent like I was for 7 years, it might be hard to make your money go far enough to buy clothes and makeup. You might just want to make money to support yourself and your kids.
You might also be bored if you're a stay-at-home mom. Yes, you can love your kids and still find parenting pretty boring on a daily basis. Babies and toddlers aren't very good at talking, and once they start school, you're usually alone for 6 hours a day. There comes a time when stay-at-home moms need something for themselves, not just to be someone's mum. You can get that by going back to work, and if you can do it from home, you won't have to worry about child care or be away from your kids.
Prepare to be a work-from-home mum with my free series
If you work outside the home right now, you might find it hard to be away from your kids. I for one felt guilty that I was unable to do the school drop off or pick ups. My teaching career (even though it was great for the school holidays), it did mean that my children and I both started and ended school at the same time. There was also the after school meetings and parents evenings I had to do. All of that meant I was away from my children for really long periods of time which I resented. Children, especially babies, grow and change quickly, and you may not want to miss any of their big moments. If your kids are getting older, you might be sick of trying to get time off for their school plays and sports days. I absolutely resented having to almost beg my headteacher to see my children in their christmas plays or sports days. Obviously, being a school, they had to balance the needs to their children first before giving anyone time off.
Tips for building a career portfolio
Even if you only work part time, it's hard to keep up with housework, life admin, and taking care of your kids. Many mothers choose to (As you'll find out later in this series), my first attempt at self-employment didn't work out, but I did learn a lot from it, especially how important it is to choose the right path. Since then, I've built a self-employed career portfolio by doing a variety of things that make me money, make me happy, and still let me be there for my boys.
I've always wanted to support other mothers in some way. It’s almost like giving back in a way. I came to a stage in my life and thought, what good is keeping all of this to yourself? When other mums in Facebook groups and in person asked me how I got started working from home, I knew this was the topic I should start writing about. Every day, I'm thankful that I can work from home and be there for my boys. I truly want to help other mothers do the same thing.
How to be a successful self-employed mother
There are a number of parts to this series. The first thing I delve into talks about what it's like to work from home, how it can be done in different ways, and what to think about when deciding which option is best for you. The next part I go into has about 50 different work-from-home jobs that could be good from your home. Then I will take you through advice on how to get started in your job or business, whether you're employed or self-employed.
My powerful first free series must be read wholeheartedly and ensure you maintain an element of reflection. The combination of the series will help you determine just how suitable the different opportunities are for you and your current situation.
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I want to take you on a journey and by the end of it, should give you a boost to go for what I dreaded many years ago.
Anika D
