I never considered myself a work-at-home mom. Mainly because even though I stayed at home with my kids and wrote, I didn’t really make money at it. Making Work at Home Work by Mary Byers shed new light on the whole work-at-home (WAHM), stay-at-home mom (SAHM) thing.
I could say with confidence that for ten years after my first son was born, I was a SAHM. I did the whole play groups, multiple outings to the zoo and fast food play joint, and every now and then dabbled in sales: Discovery Toys, Creative Memory consultant and later I wrote monthly for a local magazine, but I didn’t consider myself a WAHM. I was a SAHM with hobbies that earned me product perks and a few extra dollars, but nothing that qualified me as really working.
Without even really knowing it, five years ago I made the switch from SAHM to WAHM when I started writing again. I guess the thng that kept me from this realization is that I didn’t actually bring home a consistent paycheck, though there was a couple of years when I wrote for a monthly magazine for pay.
The problem I had running my “business” from home is that I treated it like a hobby rather than a career. And honestly, I still can’t reconcile it as a business without a paycheck (neither can my hubby.) After just reading the first chapter of Byers book I realized these last five years I’ve been floundering between being a WAHM and SAHM, between being a mommy and a writer, with never clear bounderies or schedules for either. If I had seen my writing for what it is “a business” than maybe I would have made a business plan and been disciplined enough to keep real working hours instead of getting lost in cyberspace.
One thing I’m anxious to dig into is Byers handy WAHM Q&A profile that can help identify some of my problems with this whole WAHM/SAHM mentality. I’ll be posting the rest of my thoughts on this whole WAHM/SAHM definition tomorrow, so please come back and leave your thoughts!
More about the book:
Making Work at Home Work shows moms how to develop an entrepreneurial mind-set without sacrificing their families. It covers important topics such as developing a successful business philosophy, balancing time between work and family, setting realistic goals, and handling the challenges of being both “Mommy” and “CEO” while running a profitable home-based business.
About Mary Byers:
Mary M. Byers successfully juggles both a freelance corporate writing and speaking business and her responsibilities as a wife and mother of two school-aged children. She is the author of The Mother Load: How to Meet Your Own Needs While Caring for Your Family and How to Say No . . . And Live to Tell about It. Visit her website to learn more: www.marybyers.com or her blog www.makingworkathomework.com
Contest:
Contest! Win a copy of Making Work at Home Work (or another one of Mary’s books–your choice) AND a $25 Amazon gift certificate (for some WAHM essentials – Day Planner, bubble bath, funky file-folders, toddler DVDs)!
Sign up for Mary’s quarterly newsletter where she offer tips and advice about all facets of a women’s life: WAHM, mothering, women’s issues. More info here! (http://www.marybyers.com/index.cfm?pID=569)
Join the Work at Home Blog Ring. More info here. (http://www.makingworkathomework.com/2009/04/new-making-work-at-home-work-blog-ring.html)
Can’t wait? Buy the book Now:
