If you’re on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed a trend toward a certain kind of post. A “3 Things You Should Know” or “5 Things About This Photo” style of posting that gives the reader a glimpse beyond just the filtered surface of the photo into what’s really happening behind the scenes.
To be honest, I like to keep my micro-content platforms..well…micro – so it tends to be too many words for me to jump on that particular trend. But I love the idea for something I’ve wanted to share here, some myth-busting of sorts, about my life as a work-at-home mom.
1. Your job must be for a direct-selling company
I get it. It’s hard to imagine a work-at-home job that a) doesn’t seem like one of those sketchy ads you see stuck to a telephone pole or b) doesn’t require you to sell make-up, kitchen items, home decor, or jewelry. Mine isn’t like that. I work for DaySpring as the Editorial & Marketing Manager for (in)courage. I have business cards with my name on them. I manage a team. We have meetings and presentations and annual reviews. I request vacation time and have sick days and benefits and a paycheck that goes into my account every two weeks. I report to a boss and work with an amazing team.
2. It’s just for fun/part-time
I love my job so much, so yes – it’s definitely fun. But this is my career – not something I do on the side. It’s a full-time job that includes travel. It’s been a big adjustment for me to realize that the work I do online – because when you manage a blog and social media, your day is spent online – really adds up to a big value-add at the end of the day. There might not be a pile of widgets to show you how hard I worked, or a stack of sales reports to show you how hard I hustled, but it’s all there, in different ways.
3. You do it so you can keep your kiddo at home
Nope. It’s not actually possible for me to get any work done when Madi is at home, so she is well loved at daycare by women who teach her more than I ever could. She thrives in that environment, and I work as hard as I do so she can continue to have that opportunity. This is where God has called me in this season, and because we approached this “yes” with prayer and open hearts, our family has peace about the decisions we’ve made.
4. You must miss working in a real office
Not even a little bit. Seriously. I’m an introvert and a creative, so large amounts of quiet time and the ability to do work without interruptions are my dream. I love when our team is able to get together in real life to work because we have a special dynamic, but in the day-to-day? I’ll skip the office politics and drama all day, every day, thank you very much.
5.ย You don’t “really” have office hours, so I can email you any time & expect an answer – even on the weekends
I take my job seriously. I love what I do, and I love to do it well. I pride myself on responding to people quickly, doing my job efficiently, and checking things off my to-do list. But I have office hours. I have to. It keeps my priorities in order, because the truth is? I could work at all hours, easily. But I’m not willing to sacrifice time with my family and time for myself. So when it comes to work? Feel free to email me after 5pm or on the weekends. Email never sleeps. But please don’t hold me to an expectation you wouldn’t have for someone who works in a more traditional office setting. I value my time, and I set boundaries so you can value it, too ๐
So those are the first five I could think of. Do you have other questions for a work-at-home mama? What do you assume my day looks like? What would you like to know about what I do (without asking me how to get a work-at-home job because I’ll be very little help there)? Ask away!
So many false assumptions about working from home. People should now that working from home is a real job and a career choice, and that just because you don’t work in an office in a company building, doesn’t mean you don’t work at all.
Number 4–YES! I loved my job as an OT at the hospital…if it weren’t for the office! Thank you for sharing your top 5. It’s a reality check for anyone thinking about work-from-home. It takes a lot of discipline for me to work and not turn to my domestic responsibilities. So important to keep those work hours protected.
I work full-time from home too and wrote a similar blog post about it. Your top 5 is on the spot! I have ladies who don’t work asking if I can meet up for MOPS or coffee, and I graciously remind them about my job. The only difference between my work and an office job is no commute and I get to wear PJs (I admit to this, there is no shame, lol). Thank you for this post!
Crystal, as someone who is currently growing a tiny human and is incredibly intrigued by working online and creating value in a less than traditional method, what would you suggest for breaking into being a work-at-home mom? How did you do it? (If you have other posts that are more appropriate for me to see, please feel free to send me that way.)
I’ve been a silent reader for many months, and am so thankful for your work and words.
Well, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest my particular journey to get here ๐ I was fired from my previous job & scrambled to put some things together to start a virtual assistant business in under a month to help support my family. I still love VA work & the connections that role gave me, so that’s definitely something I’d recommend. You can check out eahelp.com – they’re a great organization to get started with (they’ll connect you with clients). My current job was a huge blessing and wasn’t originally going to be a remote position, but God moved some major mountains to make it happen ๐ I really don’t know how to recommend finding a work-at-home job, since mine feels like it was such a gift.
It does seem like most career moves are much more lateral, backwards, and upside down than the planners (of which I am one) among us try to make them feel, doesn’t it? All my background is in higher ed administration, and I’m currently in distance education for graduate students. Both my bachelors and masters are in business admin. I enjoy my work, but I have an itch to do work that is further into the realm of edification and professional development for folks who find themselves languishing in the work they’re currently doing. But, I don’t have a path for what I would do or how I would do it. I’m just trying to ask questions and offer help as I can and seeing what doors God opens and which ones He leaves shut.
Thank you for your response. I’ll look into that website and see what comes of it ๐