Work from home careers?

con07s · July 2014

Hey ladies! I was curious what kind of careers do all of you work from home moms have? I would absolutely love to work from home... I know it's probably not the easiest with a newborn but with my pay right now, my check goes to bills and it would be impossible to pay day care and have anything left over. My husband works full time + to support as best as he can but I am really interested in finding out what the options are. I did some research online but I'm worried as to what is actually legit and what's a scam... Any suggestions would be MUCH appreciated

tamarar5 · July 2014

I am a freelance editor. I work as much as I can, but my income isn't dependable or reliable. It's fun and works for our family.

con07s · July 2014

Thank you! I know I won't get rich which that isn't the plan but I do need some source of income but cutting day care and being home would be so so nice. I'm such a home body as it is right now so I can't imagine how much more I'm going to want to stay home once babe comes out!

tamarar5 · July 2014

I also worked as a Teaching Assistant for an online university ( until they ended their ta program), so there's another idea.

candyland33 · July 2014

I work for a global corporate company that allows me to work from wherever I want. I do have a desk at our local office so if I need to go in for something I can. A lot of my coworkers work either out of state or another country. We do have a majority of people who go into the local offices everyday but for my particular job I can work wherever. Maybe look for a company that offers remote working.

mikrinikki · July 2014

Direct sales is an option for you like selling thirty-one, scentsy, pampered chef, etc. The only time you would need to leave is for a party- usually at night for a couple hours.

Peedy · July 2014

I work in analytics (soo.. Math and computer programming). I've found that most large corporations let their employees work from.. As long as your not a receptionist or admin, because they're not as able to fulfill their responsibilities from home.

+RBL+ · July 2014

A combination of what @candyland33 and @peedy said for me. I'm a statistical programmer at a major global company. All of my work is computer based and most of the individuals I work with are in different locations (some in the same state, different states, different countries). The majority of my communication with my coworkers is via teleconference or e-mail. I can go into a local office if/when I need to, but I do not have a dedicated workspace there.

My husband works from home as well. He is also a programmer and his company is very small but most of the individuals he works with are in different states.

I feel, at least in my location, that many corporations are moving toward employees working from home.

Weezy56 · July 2014

navyandgray said:
In all honesty you won't be able to work from home full time and take care of your child full time. Something will suffer. Taking care of a baby/toddler is a job in and of itself. They are demanding and needy. Unless you plan to work after the baby is asleep it just isn't possible without some kind of supplemental childcare.

This is exactly what I was thinking. I work from home on occasion, and there is no way I'd be able to tend to a demanding infant/toddler or else my work and production would greatly suffer.

Valancyy · July 2014

navyandgray said:

In all honesty you won't be able to work from home full time and take care of your child full time. Something will suffer. Taking care of a baby/toddler is a job in and of itself. They are demanding and needy. Unless you plan to work after the baby is asleep it just isn't possible without some kind of supplemental childcare.

This is exactly what I was going to say. I worked from home for a short while, but it was with the company I had already been working for (insurance claims). My son still went to daycare. I liked it because I was able to get things done, like laundry, during my breaks. I could even do things like fold laundry during a conference call.

However, my company required child care while I was working from home. You weren't allowed to have your young children home with you.

The only legitimate way to work from home and not use child care would be if you worked after they went to bed, or did something like free lance writing, where you could do it on your own time whenever convenient (like nap time), or when your husband was home.

MTDB · July 2014

I'm a freelance editor and writer. I don't work for any one specific company, but I have a full roster of clients that provide me with steady work and an annual income that works out to more than what I made when I worked as an in-house editor. (However, keep in mind that any type of freelance work won't have benefits, so you'll need to consider things like health insurance costs, contributing to retirement accounts, and paying self-employment taxes when figuring out potential income. Basically your gross income needs to be much higher than it is now for your net income to be equivalent.) My schedule is very flexible and I'll get to have a lot of time with my child, but there's still no way I could do the work and essentially be a full-time mom. We will have in-home help when I go back to work. Also, be aware that, outside of freelancing, many companies that allow their employees to work from home require proof of childcare if the employee has a child.

RunningJ · July 2014

I work from home for a pharmacy benefit management company working on projects that deal with contracts and compliance. However, like many other PP's, working from home came after I had worked in the office for a while (a few years) and part of my telecommuting agreement includes that I cannot have a child at home with me.

Working from home I often end up putting in MORE hours than I did in the office, and while there are benefits- it can be isolating. There are lots of misconceptions I get from others about working from home, and right now it's that many people wrongfully assume I will get to keep our LO at home with us.

There are opportunities to work from home that might provide the type of situation you're looking for but these would likely be part time and the ability to have LO with you will depend upon the company and their policy, etc.

aelhunt · July 2014

OPs love tits ended when we got real talk up in here....... Magical WFH careers for everyone! You get to stay home and you get to stay home (says Oprah)!

absterboss · July 2014

This thread really bothers me. It is awful to assume just because you can work from home that you can take care of your child. As if working from home is easy, and taking care of a child is easy. Both are full time jobs and require all of your attention. It is almost as if you are diminishing the work of the WFH moms AND SAH moms. (Disclaimer: I'm not a WAH or SAH mom. I just find this thread demeaning. Maybe I'm way off base)

con07s · July 2014

What I was asking was what my options are. I know that it wouldn't be a full time work and I know being a stay at home mother is a full time job. I know that working from home would take a lot of hard work, I was just looking for options because my current job isn't flexible with family needs whatsoever. Thanks to everyone for the nice comments and suggestions, I didn't expect to get negativity in this discussion. Never did I state that I assume working from home is easy.

candyland33 · July 2014

navyandgray said:

In all honesty you won't be able to work from home full time and take care of your child full time. Something will suffer. Taking care of a baby/toddler is a job in and of itself. They are demanding and needy. Unless you plan to work after the baby is asleep it just isn't possible without some kind of supplemental childcare.

This and many PP have said before. Once I go back to work DD will be going day care. I would not be able to give my work or DD the time or attention they both need. Working from home with just my dog around was sometimes demanding. I was getting ready to lead a 2 hour conference call and right as the meeting started she started throwing up everywhere! it was terrible and I could not clean it up till the meeting was over nor could I make sure she was okay it was terrible. I could not imagine that happening if DD was at home and I was working. Also my coworkers would not like being on calls with me and a crying baby in the back ground. Caring for a child is a full time job as well as keep up with my regular full time job.

aelhunt · July 2014

con07s said:

What I was asking was what my options are. I know that it wouldn't be a full time work and I know being a stay at home mother is a full time job. I know that working from home would take a lot of hard work, I was just looking for options because my current job isn't flexible with family needs whatsoever. Thanks to everyone for the nice comments and suggestions, I didn't expect to get negativity in this discussion. Never did I state that I assume working from home is easy.

OMG, I forgot we are the personnel department for WFH careers for new moms. We can tell you what we do (that was not a third trimester decision) to work from home but how the hell should we know what you can do? And you did mention saving $ on daycare so I was under the assumption that you wanted your kid at home some of the time. That isn't really reasonable to start a new job. Plus- starting a new job as a new mom? Sounds like more work than you're ready for.

Venus04 · July 2014

I'm a writer. I will tell you true full-time work-from-home jobs don't leave you with enough time to care for a newborn. Not even close. I'm lucky if I get enough time to scarf lunch and have a quick work-out around noon. My child will be in daycare full time because I take my job seriously. If you do have the time to care for a newborn it either isn't an actual full-time job...or you're taking advantage of your company. I'd suggest looking for a part-time work-from-home if you want to do both.

caballablanca · July 2014

My DH has the option to work from home and is a Network Engineer. He does consulting work, so he does get downtime, but when the work does come in, he has to work. No way he give DD his full attention.

KatWAG · July 2014

Why does it matter what type of careers we do from home? Do you have the skill set to be an editor, writer, computer programmer, teachers aid, etc?

It sounds to me that you are looking for a job to pay you while you watch your LO do tummy time. In my experience, working form home is a privilege that is earned over time. After you have proved that you are a independent, reliable, and trustworthy employee. Too many people take advantage of it, which makes employers less likely to offer it (at leats in my experience.)

I would look into doing those tupperware parties or selling Stella and Dot. I dont consider those a "career" but it could be a way to make some extra cash.

FWIW, I am a lobbyist and can work from home when Congress or State Legislatures arent in session.

marathonmommy82 · July 2014

I work outside the home full time and sometimes need to bring files/ cases home, and I cannot do ANY work when DS is awake --- either when he was a newborn, infant, or now (I get work done during naps or after bedtime on the weekends if necessary). They are a lot of work.

shaylagirl · July 2014

Let me preface by saying, I have a friend who is SUCCESSFUL at this job, but ONLY because she worked LONG hours and marketed herself in such a way as to BE successful at her job.

Phone sex operator.

Granted, it's limiting as they won't allow there to be a child under 18 in the home while you're "on the clock"...but there's an option.

For about 8 months I processed the credit card payments for a phone sex line. I worked the overnight shift BECAUSE the rules were different; my son could be in the home, but overnight, he was in bed, so I wasn't missing any time with him. Another option for a little bit of spending cash.

I think mostly what you're going to find is you have to work HARD if you want to work from home, no matter what you end up doing.

What about a home cleaning service? Dog walking? Errand girl for people who are home-bound and need groceries or perhaps need to be shuttled to/from appointments? Make jewelry? Tutor students? The list can go on and on.

Be creative, then go market the hell out of yourself. Of course, do your research about starting a home business in order to establish things correctly from the get-go. The IRS wants their cut of things, never mind all the other little things that go along with a personal business.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

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Peedy · July 2014

+RBL+ said:

A combination of what @candyland33 and @peedy said for me. I'm a statistical programmer at a major global company. All of my work is computer based and most of the individuals I work with are in different locations (some in the same state, different states, different countries). The majority of my communication with my coworkers is via teleconference or e-mail. I can go into a local office if/when I need to, but I do not have a dedicated workspace there.

My husband works from home as well. He is also a programmer and his company is very small but most of the individuals he works with are in different states.

I feel, at least in my location, that many corporations are moving toward employees working from home.

Woah, My master's degree is in statistics and my husband is a Software Engineer. My previous positions have been more stats based.. Very cool, I don't see a lot of ladies doing stats

BlytheMac · July 2014

As a manager who employs WFH employees, I will only hire someone to WFH if they have full-time childcare. WFH requires special attention and dedication and a child does not allow one to allot enough time to the job that is required. I work in research/analytics so there is no room for error.

I agree with other posters that if you are looking for some cash while you watch your LO, you look into some of the "sales" opportunities that others have mentioned -- Stella and Dot, Rodan Fields, Beauty Counter, etc. They are usually easy to get into and provide opportunities to socialize outside of the house too.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

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Peedy · July 2014

Yea, I can work from home, but I have still found a daycare for LO once she is born.

shevaCC · July 2014

@candyland33, @peedy, and @+RBL+, I'm another woman in data science/statistical analysis, though I'm moving closer to business analytics over time.

I work from home several days a week, but DD is in full-time daycare. When she's sick or daycare is closed, I either take sick leave or work while she sleeps and late into the night.

OP, besides selling things like purses, makeup, and kitchen tools you could start an Etsy store if you're crafty. I also know a lot of moms who work opposite shift from their partners. You could pick up something on evenings and/or weekends to supplement your income -- retail, waitressing/bar tending are pretty open to anyone. If you have specific skills you could tutor or teach extra curricular classes for kids.

jmathi0149 · July 2014

There is always the option of starting an in home daycare. However, that can be very restricting and costly. I was a nanny for a while and I had a family offer me a job where I could bring my baby Mon-Fri from 2-6 to watch their 10 and 12 year olds. I turned the job because we have a lot planned this next year so I am just going to be a SAHM. You could try care.com as a provider if you wanted to pick up odd job but most families aren't open to hiring a brand new person with a newborn. I knew all of my families several years before pregnancy.

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