Devoted to WAHMs -Work at Home Moms

Oh. My. Goodness. This is a topic I think about every single day. I have a 9 month old and a 4 year old. The baby is home withe me - all the time. The 4 year old had 3 mornings of pre-k a week and now 12 weeks of vacation. I am trying to work 25-30 hours a week at home as a freelance writer. I do most of work from 7-11 pm and on weekends. But, I left the practice of law to be with my kids so, to me, it is worth it.

Hi Jen!

Thanks for chipping in and starting the discussion! It sounds like you're following the same path I took - working around the kid's schedule.

Normally I'd jump up and argue this. But now with summer here and as a writer you just don't stop because kids come home you realize it would be a good thing for them to be in sports a few times a week or even camp. The young ones might benefit for a few days (not all) in day care or a camp of some sort. Yes, I struggle with this when all I hear is MOM! So and so did this, not uh, she did it first, blah blah. lol.

Thanks Eliza!

Kid interruptions can make work difficult.

Thanks for linking to my blog, Laura! This certainly is a difficult issue. For me, having part-time help for older infants and preschoolers is a necessity. I'd rather work intensely during a shorter period, knowing that my child is getting the attention he needs and is having fun, rather than hanging out with me while I stare at a laptop all day and try to placate him with "not now, later" or having the TV on for hours. And logistically, I need to be able to attend occasional client meetings and make work calls.

I used to try to work on weekends, and I still do when I have a major deadline, but I don't like missing family time. I'd rather lose time on a Thursday.

Work used to be more important to me than it is now, however. At this point work is not a key part of my identity. For those who do need or want to work full time, there are many sacrifices.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing the rest of your story Miranda!

I think that this is an issue that all work-at-home parents wrestle with at one time or another.