I have been both a stay at home mom and a corporate exec with kids. Each role had its advantages: I loved staying at home with my kids, being a full-time mommy, focusing exclusively on meeting their needs and finding satisfaction in raising healthy, happy kids. It was also a period of my life in which I was able to spend a LOT of quality time with my family.
I sincerely loved working in the corporate world, too: having a fabulous wardrobe, a reason to get out of the house (and get dressed) every day, a feeling of importance within my organization, a group of friends to socialize with, and a sense of accomplishment at putting my skills and education to use. Oh – and the paychecks were incredibly delightful.
But it’s what I do NOW – a stay at home mom running my own company, supporting my family while my husband finishes school, with the flexibility to work AROUND my kids’ needs…well, it is the most satisfying experience I’ve ever had.
It is hard work, don’t get me wrong. I normally start working around 5 a.m. so that I can get some work done before the kids are up, and sometimes I’m still trying to squeeze in one last chapter on an e-book for a client before dinner. And when the kids are all at school and I am home alone, I can get a little loopy from the lack of adult human companionship. I talk to the dogs and the bird, but it isn’t quite the same.
I know, though, that I’m part of a growing trend, and that this is the kind of solution that empowers moms to be everything they want to be, from corporate executive to mom of the year. In fact, a recent article from Internet Retailer Magazine substantiates my four years of hard work and gut instinct that here, in my home office, is where I can make the biggest difference for my family, my community, and the economy. Here is where the playing field truly gets leveled.
The flexibility I have to make it to all of dance recitals and choir concerts – and all of the doctor appointments, parent-teacher meetings, and sick days – is more valuable to me than the certainty of a paycheck every week. The fact that I don’t have to answer to a boss when I decide to sneak away for a long lunch with my husband or worry about using up all my sick leave when my son has surgery helps me appreciate even the toughest moments of working for myself.
