How to go from Stay-at-Home Mom (SAHM) to Work-at-Home Mom (WAHM)

Most millennial women opt to choose family over their career after giving birth and decide to be SAHM (Stay-at-Home Mom) by choice. It is not surprising for them to realize that raising kids and managing the household are as equally important as bringing home the bacon.

But staying at home have reality challenges. One of the concerns of SAHMs is how to be financially independent or contribute to the family needs even if the husband is earning a decent income. Most stay-at-home moms go through this struggle and I've been there,too.

If you're looking for some means to earn while staying at home, doing freelancing services or becoming a virtual assistant might be a solution for you.

What you need to prepare for your stay-at-home job

If you're a starter, you may start with basic to mid-range requirements then later go for high-end tools .Here are the basic requirements:

1. Working Equipment

-Personal computer or laptop with atleast Intel core-i3 (some companies' basic requirement is core-i5) ,8GB RAM ,1 terabyte storage

-Wired Internet connection with atleast 5mpbs speed

-Headset with a noise cancelling function

-HD Webcam (can be external)

-Back up connection(prepaid/postpaid wifi)

-Back up power(extra battery for laptop, UPS

2. Home Office

Having your room dedicated for your work will delineate the boundary between being a mom and a work-at-home professional. When we enter our work space,we condition our mind that it is time for work. If there is no room available,at least find a corner in one your rooms in the house.

How to transition smoothly to a WAHM

Working at home literally means doing work while you are juggling household chores and taking care of children. Here are some of the following adjustments we need to take :

1. Get dressed even when you're working at home

My neighbors usually wonder why am I dressed and wearing a make up at home.

The idea of working in your pajamas is convenient,but I personally recommend getting dressed and making yourself presentable,which means,washed face,combed hair and suitable clothes and even putting on a light make up.Why not? When we are dressed appropriately for work, it conditions our mind that it is time to get down to work.

Dressing appropriately allow us to engage professionally with our clients. Additionally, it also indicates to family members,visitors or even neighbors that we are not simply staying at home but working at home.

2. Manage Your Time

Effective time management is imperative to hit deadlines set by client, especially for WAHMs because we can get caught up juggling household chores and taking care of our children. Learn how to prioritize tasks with a To-Do-List . Research suggests that tackling the most difficult task increases productivity.

During my freelancing training, I had a habit of focusing first on easy tasks and would tend to put off doing harder projects, because it was something I've never done before and don't know how to do it. Then, I realized that I had less time left to do the harder tasks because I spent too much time on easier tasks than necessary. That's why tackling the most difficult tasks will actually give you more time to deal with it ,do some research or even redo it.

3.Invest In Self-Education

When I was transitioning back to work (home-based),after several years of being a stay-at-home mom, I felt I was stepping into an unknown territory and was worried about the gap in my resume.

At one point ,SAHMs might feel behind the curve, resulting to lack of self-confidence. To get back to skill set, you need to study,in order to catch up with the technology and methodologies used for the work industry. If you don't have any or enough idea on home-based jobs ,it is best to enroll in freelancing courses. Level up with training and stay abreast.

I took my freelancing course with Filipino Virtual Assistance, a business consultancy that offers online job courses and freelancing services to businesses and it has gained me confidence in building my skills ,creating my portfolio and more from scratch.

Taking such courses will improve your general knowledge and build your skills required in your chosen niche. It also eliminates the doubt of your employers that you are out of touch.

4. Start doing something and be willing to start your work-at-home career with entry-level salary

"Success is not an overnight process"

Some work-at-home jobs offer an average salary,especially when you're a newbie. There is no harm in accepting job offers with minimal pay. It is better to start doing something low than doing nothing at all!

The primary role of our first job is to gain experience, just make sure the salary is reasonable and you are not underpaid. Bear in mind that no person has reached the top without starting from the bottom. As you build your skills and work your way up to the ladder, paycheck negotiation will follow.