Staying home to raise the kids has been part of our culture for centuries past. Men go out to work and provide for their families while women tend the home and care for the children, but this family dynamic isn't what it used to be in today's world. Nowadays, both the man and woman can work outside the home for several reasons that are peculiar to each family dynamics.
In some dynamics, it's the case of a stay-at-home dad where the man stays home to care for the kids while the woman works or in more common situations, it is the woman who stays home to care for the kids while the man goes out to work and provide for the family.
The Label
What comes to mind when people hear the phrase 'stay-at-home mom'? Unfortunately, the picture is one in which many people assume the woman stays home every day and does absolutely nothing all-day but babysits her kids.
This is untrue, though. Caring for a child, sometimes three or four of them is the most tedious and mentally-tasking job. In my opinion, it's the most challenging job there is.
Subscribe to Dazzling Insights Blog
You will be notified as soon as a new article is published
There is absolutely nothing "stay-ey" about a stay-at-home mom. You are constantly in motion, running after toddlers, cleaning up messes, repeating the same instructions a hundred times (okay, maybe not a hundred, but quite a lot). But then, there's the homework, the potty-training, the school runs, drop-offs and pickups. Honestly, the list is inexhaustible!
Another important point to note is that the modern-day stay-at-home mom is a "working stay-at-home mom or work-from-home mom" —I personally like to identify with. Sometimes, I feel like the stay-at-home mom label plays down or trivializes the work a mom puts in on the homefront.
The modern-day stay-at-home mom has an online business or businesses; she probably has transitioned from a full-time stay-at-home mom to one working remotely and earning from home. She is busy round the clock; she is trying to beat deadlines, showing up early for a zoom meeting, working on clients' projects or thinking of more side hustles to kickstart.
Decision Decisions
Becoming a stay-at-home, whether out of choice or some life happenings, can be quite uncomfortable and hard to come to terms with, that this is your life now. But more challenging is deciding on what to do and if you have the skills needed to take on such roles. So when it comes to choosing jobs that allow for moms to work and be present, my advice is always to be open to trying new things, get the necessary training and hands-on experience doing all that you learned during training and most importantly, keep honing your skills to stay relevant in whatever field you find yourself.
"Being a stay-at-home mom comes with many stigmas, but most worrisome for moms is dependency on their partner for financial help, which sometimes comes with lots of cons"
Share this Dazzling Post
Perks of working as a stay-at-home mom
#1. Increases your earning power
Moms can earn money while at home caring for their children. Some opportunities abound; there is so much they can do and achieve.
#2. Boost confidence
There's a different feeling that comes with making and having your own money. You begin to have bigger dreams and are not scared to take on those dreams. Your thoughts are no longer limiting, and all you see are possibilities.
#3. Earns you respect
Even if your partner is not bothered about you not working or maybe pays you to care for the kids, sometimes, there is a level of respect you earn from him when you choose and start to make your own money.
#4. Teaches your kids to be independent
Our kids are always watching! So it is great for them to see you in another light.
#5. Financial freedom
There's nothing as liberating as being able to earn and spend your own money.
#6. Flexibility
Working and being present gives you the freedom to choose what your work hours would look like and what kind of clients you want to onboard. This is literally what work-life balance feels like.
"Caring for a child, sometimes three or four of them is the most tedious and mentally-tasking job. In my opinion, it's the most challenging job there is."
#1. Dropshipping
Dropshipping requires no capital to start. All you need is your phone and an internet connection, and a contact of a vendor that stocks the kind of products or digital products you are interested in selling. Reach an agreement with them as regards pricing and start selling!
You need an online presence on social media, of course, so as to be able to reach more people and market your products to your target audience.
The kind of products you may consider drop shipping can be kids’ essentials, pregnancy and postpartum essentials, educational toys for kids, home decor, kitchen needs, kids' fashion, digital products, etc.
Don't forget word of mouth— tell people around you about your business.
#2. Youtubing
Getting monetised can make you cool money on YouTube. Youtubing is another zero capital venture that only requires a good phone, internet connection, and zeal to get started.
You need a lot of patience and, of course, stay consistent to grow your channel. There are tons of videos on YouTube you can watch that can answer all your questions on monetisation.
#3. Influencer marketing
People make a living just by simply talking about someone's product or services and recommending it to their followers! Does this look like something you can do?
You will need a phone, internet service and get on social media. Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube are great places to start. You can start by choosing a niche and then review products within that niche. Soon enough, you will become the go-to person in that industry and attract clients that want you to review their products or services and pay you for them.
#4. Social media manager
This is a virtual assistant job that requires you to simply help online businesses stay relevant and visible online. Becoming a social media manager would require you to get training, of course, and this can be paid or DIY. To get started, you need your phone, internet connection and put in a few hours into working daily for these businesses.
#5. Content and copywriter
If you have a flair for writing and marketing, then you may want to look into writing for a living. As a copywriter, your job entails writing sales copy for businesses, or as a content writer, writing blog articles and social media posts for businesses.
Another aspect of writing you can focus on is ghost writing, which requires you to write for others without getting public recognition or credit for it. A very common one is writing ebooks for others. You can earn from home helping others write their own books because they don't have the time to do that; they don't know how or what to write, so your job is to listen, research and pen down their thoughts and ideas creatively.
#6. Content creator and strategist
A content creator and strategist helps online business owners bring ideas to life! They not only come up with ideas but also create content from these ideas, educate online business owners on the kind of content best suited for their business and build strategies to promote these contents.
Bonus
#7. Knowledge-preneur
Becoming a knowledge-preneur simply entails you monetising a knowledge you already have, things that come easy for you to do or the things people are constantly picking your brains on. To monetize your knowledge, all you need to do is create digital products around it like courses, ebooks, master classes, consultations, etc.
Being a stay-at-home mom comes with many stigmas, but most worrisome for moms is dependency on their partner for financial help, which sometimes comes with lots of cons.
If this is a familiar story, starting a career from home has become easier and possible today. Get financially empowered and start your journey to financial freedom.
Mrs. Chidimma Juliet Oladipupo is a mother of two, social media strategist and content creator with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. She is passionate about using social media for good, getting her voice heard and connecting with others.
She is the founder of THE MOM CONVERSATION® —a motherhood
blog on Instagram dedicated to highlighting the truth and realities of motherhood. It's also a space she holds conversations and inspires mothers to share their true stories and journeys about motherhood without filters.
When Chidimma is not writing, researching, reading or creating contents for brands and businesses, she spends time with her kids, brainstorming, bouncing off ideas or have random conversations with her husband.
