Working from home Mums

Babyworld members share their experiences, good and bad, of working from home.

• 'I love the flexibility'
• 'I sometimes feel like I have TWO full-time jobs'
• 'Some people don't view it as a proper job'
• 'The pros far exceed the cons'
• 'I love the balance that I now have'

'I love the flexibility'

'I had been looking for a while for something to do from home and since having Rory had dabbled in selling cushion covers and handmade bags on Ebay. I can't commit to working outside the home - even evenings and weekends - as my hubby often works away and I have nobody locally to help out with the children. Although I love being a stay-at-home-mum I wanted to do something for me too, and feel I was contributing financially again. Tracking down the right opportunity was a nightmare though

'I work as a self-employed internet-based researcher for a company. Basically, people text in questions on their mobiles and we answer them. It could be anything from, "I'm in Brighton, when's the last train to London?" to questions about who starred in certain films, what the latest football/cricket score is, "relationship"-type questions such as "Does Kevin fancy me?" or any other general trivia.

'The biggest advantage is the flexibility. I get paid for every answer provided, so I can do as many or as little hours as I want. There are no minimum or maximum contracted hours, so you get back exactly what you put into it. If I only wan to work when the children are in bed, I can, or I can log in when they're napping or being looked after by their dad. In total I'm probably working six to eight hours a week. It's the only job I've ever had where I can work in my pyjamas! The work is interesting and varied and although you're not working directly with other people there are ways of getting to know your colleagues. After three years of not earning it's lovely to have money coming in again.

'The downside is having to register as self-employed and fill in self-assessment but people who have done it before say it's not too scary. I do miss the office atmosphere but the benefits far outweigh any negatives.'
Morag

'I sometimes feel like I have TWO full-time jobs'

'I've worked from home for eight years now, doing industrial market research mainly on a consultancy basis (I've just recently returned to salaried full-time work but I'm still working from home).

'I didn't really make a decision to work from home! After resigning from my previous job and moving out of London I was subsequently offered consultancy work by the same employer. It wasn't a child-related decision as I didn't have any plans for babies at the time but working from home probably made me think more positively about having kids (I'd never wanted children).

'The pros are pretty obvious: not having to put your young children in childcare for long days like many women with full-time jobs have to do, not missing out on any of their achievements or milestones, no hours spent commuting (and no train fares to pay). The freedom to take time off to do things with the children.

'The cons are coping with the time-pressure of combining a responsible full-time job and childcare (in school holidays I feel like I have TWO full-time jobs). The lack of regular contact with colleagues, not having someone in the desk opposite to bounce ideas off. The fact that it can be hard to get away from work because your desk and your to-do list are always there. Not having evenings and weekends off (because my daytime work hours are limited, I almost always work evenings and weekends.'
Alison

'Some people don't view it as a proper job'

'The other advantages are that you can be at home with the children, (I have a seven-year-old and a two-year-old) and you are always there for the school runs, important events, doctors appointments, etc. You can pick your own hours and your earnings are directly related to the effort that you yourself put in (not like when you are at work).

'The cons are, sometimes, you find that you are tied up evenings doing parties or paperwork and also some people don't view it as a 'proper' job.
Sarah

'The pros far exceed the cons'

'I have been self-employed as a freelance publisher since August 2005, following redundancy after my maternity leave.

'While I enjoy the flexibility and the rates I can charge, it does have the pressures of finding work and chasing payments; last month I was awaiting invoice payments dating back to May totalling over £3,000 so you can imagine the state of the overdraft: bills still have to be paid.

'It can be a little lonely as well; I loved the team I was working with at my old job and bouncing off ideas and sharing problems with each other. Also being freelance I carry all the stress and responsibility of a project but I don't have the authority to be able to make decisions on the spot - this is a little frustrating. I try and keep all work to the hours Noah is in nursery but this does tend to spill into evenings and weekends and I sometimes feel there is just no escape.

'Another area of work that has also developed has come from my hobby of Scrapbooking. Early this year I was asked to be part of a design team on a series of books on Scrapbooking (due to be published later this year) and I have also been contributing to a well-known crafts magazine who have just asked me to be a regular contributor.

'I am also in the process of setting up another small business, totally away from publishing.

'If you can work for yourself then I would recommend it; it does have downsides and I hate doing anything finance related(!!) but the pros far exceed the cons.'
Jane

'I love the balance that I now have'

'I work from home as a Kumon instructor, running an after-school maths and English programme for kids. I run two sessions a week in a church hall but the rest of the work I do from home.

'I used to work as a senior manager in an insurance company but when I had my first daughter, I decided that I wanted my children to be my first priority so looked for something more flexible.

'I love the balance that I now have. I spend about half my time with my kids and half working. The downside is obviously the money but I have to say that I don't really miss it and wouldn't go back for the world!'
Alison

Where to next?

• A start up guide to Working from home
• Every mum is a working mum - period!
• Leaving for work fuss-free!