Mothers Working from Home: Is It Really Worth the Risk

Women have pushed the boundaries of the norm in the 21st century, perhaps more than ever. According to CNBC, the number of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies broke records just last year. You don’t have to look far to see that times are evolving worldwide as many working mothers have refused to be left behind. Whether a mother chooses to work in the office where she can feed off of comradery, or on the other hand, if a mother chooses to thrive off of intimacy with her children while working from home one thing is for sure, women are making bolder moves than ever. We are not here to claim that one work environment is better than the other. Instead, we’ve listed some details to consider, on your individual journey.

The Job Market You’d Like to Work In

The idea of being a work at home mother may be appealing, but it is highly important to consider what market you plan to work in. While there are more jobs and opportunities than ever to work from home, if you have a particular field you’d like to work in, it may help to study your odds of finding work. It also helps to consider your personal experience and background, as it is very possible that the field you work in has a high rate of competition. If you are not at an expert level in your field or there is not much demand for your work field, then it may be very difficult to find work. On the other hand, the boom of remote working has inspired many mothers to create their own opportunities, to challenge their creativity, and press into entrepreneurship. Many mothers who work from home have built businesses from scratch.

Your Personality Matters

Considering your personality is perhaps one of the less obvious variables to consider but it may be helpful to do so. If you are a person who thrives better in a team environment, you enjoy the support, and you love the community, it may be difficult to spend most of your day alone while working, and caring for your children. If you are more of an introvert, and you tend to work better by yourself, needing little supervision, working from home may not be as difficult. Another personality trait to consider is whether you are big on cleaning, if you are not big on cleaning then it may be very discouraging to work from home. You will have to do more cleaning, as you will spend more time at home. Even if you are big on cleaning, you may feel as if you never stop, and that can be discouraging. If you can afford assistance with cleaning your home, it may be worth the investment for you. Another closely related trait that could be discouraging is if you are not very organized. If you lose things a lot this can make things difficult. Depending on the age of your children, they may innocently misplace important paperwork, a loose post-it, or erase a document you’re typing on your computer. In these cases, you may just need to anticipate what could go wrong with significant paperwork.

Balancing Parenting, Work, and Home

As a mother, you may feel the pressures that you are not investing undivided attention, though you are in your child’s presence. Your workload of caring for them can seem never-ending with little breaks. This is especially the case for mothers who have babies and small children. There is a possibility that you will have several interruptions, and it may be difficult to do business like make phone calls. If you decide to work for a company, please be aware that more than the most desirable for you to work in a quiet environment with no distractions, as you can imagine that they want you to put forth the best effort possible. One idea mothers who work from home may find helpful is to have a very strict schedule. Though setbacks at times will present themselves, a schedule that is clear and specific may make things run more smoothly. Whether you are convinced that working from home is the best fit for your home, or you would prefer to continue working in the office, you may find that home document management software could be very useful. This is a software that will assist you with filling and organizing important documents. Whether you prefer one with the basic features, or you would like the one that is more complex, you are sure to find one that is suitable for your home’s needs.

After careful assessment mothers can conclude that working from home may not be all it's cracked up to be. On the other hand, many mothers will find that working from home is a dream in comparison to the hustle and bustle of dropping off kids, rush-hour traffic, and being called out of work early for their sick children. As you weigh the pros and the cons, we'd like to encourage you that neither role may be easy, but with careful planning, a good support system, and realistic expectations, it is possible.