Motherhood is a full time job! Balancing a regular office job and parenting can be quite physically and emotionally draining. New mothers are often in a fix regarding job and parenting. The attachment and needs of the child clashes with the rewards of a regular demanding job. It is difficult to leave one’s stable job and it is also difficult to ignore the emotional needs of the child. If you feel the baby is more important for you but you don’t want your skills to rust at the same time, working from home is a good option. The Internet has opened several doors for jobs that do not require one to go the office. On-line jobs like market research, survey, editing, freelancing, on-line tuition’s, telecommuting for corporations, supplying business and marketing support etc., are getting popular for the convenience. There are other home based jobs too like tuition’s in academics, art, music, dance etc., catering for small parties, typing, small business, writing books etc.
Advantages of Working from Home
There are several advantages of working from home. First and foremost, you do not have to go out of the house and away from your child. You can work as and when you are free, setting your work routine in tandem with the child’s routine. Since the child’s needs are your priority, working from home allows you to work at times when the child is in school or sleeping or playing with his friends. This way the child’s routine remains unaffected. As the child grows you can explain to her the importance of your work and then increase your work time while she busies herself with other activities respecting your work hours. Home based jobs usually have the option to take as much work load as you can manage comfortably. Since there are no daily fixed working hours, you can work in small periods whenever you have time, instead of working for long hours at a stretch. You can work at non traditional times too like in the night or early morning when the child sleeps. It saves the commuting time too. The flexibility of time and work allows you to attend to unexpected events and emergencies at home.
Working from home keeps the money flowing in and your brain working, while allowing enough time to spend with the child.
Disadvantages of Working from Home
Working from home has its benefits as well as some disadvantages. Weigh the pros and cons of this option before deciding to quit a regular job. The main disadvantages of home based job are:
1. Low monetary rewards- Generally home based jobs are not as highly paid as regular office jobs and are uncertain too. Besides you don’t get paid sick leaves or holidays in such jobs. So go for this option, only if you can afford to live comfortably with the spouse’s income and being with the child is your topmost goal.
2. The time factor- Home based jobs can reap attractive monetary rewards if you can spend lots of time on it. But with parenting, time is the major constraint. If the job in hand has deadlines, you may have to compromise with your household duties. Sometimes, you may need to have someone around to look after the baby while you finish your assignments.
3. Added responsibility- When you are at home you have to attend to myriad household needs. In such a situation the work, becomes an added responsibility.
4. Lots of distraction- When you are sitting in the office all your focus is on work. You are psychologically wired to work. But, at home your mind will often wander to things like preparing meals, shopping, attending guests and other family members, children’s school activities etc. Besides you may also give in to temptations like getting up late, watching a little more TV etc. Too much flexibility sometimes makes us lazy. Working from home needs self discipline.
5. Less productivity- The many distractions and time constraints affect the productivity negatively. Competition and stress in an office pushes one to work harder. Lack of competition in home based jobs mean lack of motivation to push oneself hard, thus reducing productivity.
6. Lack of human interaction- Home based jobs are mostly solitary jobs. Most jobs are done on the computer. In jobs like tuitions and catering you interact with people much junior to you in job and status. So the boost we get by interacting with equals and senior, more experienced people is absent. If you choose to work from home, maintain a good social circle, where you can interact with different people and have friends to share your emotions. Otherwise, home based jobs may cut you off from the society and you may end up a loner!
7. Sedentary nature- Computer based jobs are all sedentary jobs which can be unhealthy. Take time off to walk at certain intervals to attend to household duties or just to take a break. Take precautions against other computer related health problems like strain on eye, fingers, shoulders etc. Include walks and exercise in your daily routine.
