Confessions of a Pregnant Work-at-home Mom

I began my marriage as a housewife. With only one car between the two of us, we decided it was best that I not work. My earning potential as a woman with only a high school diploma is limited. There were no businesses within walking distance, besides a gas station, and my check would only be enough to cover cab fare with a tiny bit left over. There didn't seem to be a point in my working out of the home, and I had yet to think of finding a work-at-home job.

There was never any question as to whether I would work when the baby arrived. I've always felt that my place as a mother is at home with my child, so that I could raise him without help from others. Beyond that, my staying home is also the more practical choice. We have two cars now, but it's unlikely that a paycheck from my working out of the home would cover daycare with any helpful amount left over. The only logical way for me to contribute financially was to find a work-at-home position.

I have dabbled a bit in Primerica and Mary Kay, both great work-at-home oppertunities. They required too much time away from my child--and too much financial backing. Finally I found a way to make money, without leaving my son alone or paying for childcare. For almost a year I worked as a greeter, making anywhere from $40-$360 a month. It was enough to pay for my husband to have a new car. My job was to visit new homeowners in the area with a welcome packet of coupons and a flower. I was able to bring my son with me, and it was a work-at-home job that I truly enjoyed for a while.

As new expenses accrued, I needed another way to make money. My neighbor solicited me as a nanny for her daughter, just two months younger than my son. When she discovered that I was Pagan she decided that I was an unfit mother and would be a bad influence as a nanny. The idea was stuck in my head, though, and I began searching Craigslist for a position in daycare. It wasn't long before I found one and was supplementing our income by doing childcare. By now I was getting used to being a work-at-home mom.

The first little girl that I watched was only a few months older than our son. I would wake up everyday at 6 AM, quite a change from my usual 11 AM wake-up time, and watch her sometimes as late as 5 or 6. This work-at-home job really wasn't that difficult. It was just one more mouth to feed, one more diaper to change, one more kid to keep from climbing upstairs and scampering off. I immediately enjoyed it and began dabbling in babysitting, while seeking more positions.

After about a month, I began watching a set of twin girls who were a few months away from turning 2. At that point I was making $400 a month watching one child and $600 a month for watching the twins. I began watching a little boy, six months younger than my own son, one day a week for about $25 a day. Watching them all was amazingly easy, for they basically kept each other entertained. Meal time and diaper changes were tricky, because I had to feed two children at once and then change 4 children, one at a time. At the end of the first day I was exhausted, but after that it became very easy.

Two weeks after I began watching the little boy, the little girl's parents switched to another daycare in their own neighborhood that was charging less. She had been with me for only two months. I enjoyed having one less child to care for, especially considering this little girl had been quite a handful. (She was prone to toy snatching.) The little boy began staying with me two days a week, then three, which made up for the loss of income. A month later, the twins were pulled out--again, for a less expensive daycare in their own neighborhood. (I don't believe that was their main reason.)

One day, a few weeks earlier, the mother showed up 30 minutes early without notifying me in advance. I had to jump up, thrown on some clothes, and run downstairs where I had to listen to ten minutes of "It's freezing out there! Their little hands are so cold. They're going to have to warm up. Their cheeks are red, and their noses are running. I'm sure they'll be fine once they warm up. We were standing out there for 15 minutes, so I went and got back in the warm car for a while." She went on and on. I told her "If I had known you would be arriving 30 minutes early, I would have been ready. Next time please let me know in advance."

Then the twins developed a very suspicious diaper rash. The mother seemed to blame me, mainly because the rashes would clear up in the evening and get worse during the day. Changes in diet and lifestyle don't cause diaper rashes to immediately fade. It takes a few hours before you get any results. It was obvious that my care during the day was responsible for the clearing up of the rashes at night, but I had no proof. I told the mother that I had stopped giving them juice, and she said "Oh, I'd been meaning to ask you to do that anyway." That was ironic, considering they showed up each morning with their cups full of juice that she'd given them.

She finally decided that their diaper rashes were caused by the food they were eating at my house, which wasn't causing anyone else to have a rash. She brought over special food for me to prepare for them over the stove--which took my attention away from the boys. The rashes slowly got better, until I opened the diapers one day and discovered bright red butts. I had changed them less than an hour before. Their feces contained corn and other food products that I'd never served them, which confirmed my suspicions that it was their mother who ing the rash--not me. When I notified her, she confirmed they'd had corn for dinner the night before. I politely told her "So we know that they aren't getting the rashes from their meals here."

The next day she let me know they were switching daycares. I felt especially bad for the twins, because they had taken weeks to adjust to being with me--and then had to go through that process all over again somewhere else. I felt even more sorry for my son, who had gained three beloved playmates and then lost them rather quickly. It was hard on him. On the day the twins were to start at their new daycare, the place was shut down because it was under investigation. When my husband told me about this, we both had a little chuckle. (Okay, so I laughed so hard I almost cried.)

Being a daycare provider isn't easy on your emotions. You have to watch parents make choices for their children that you may not agree with. For example, the twins' father often responded to their cries at separation with "Do you want a spanking?" It broke my heart each time, the threat of violence at a small child who only wanted to be near her parent. You also have to listen and nod your head with a smile to unwanted parenting advice. (Parents love to advise me to transition my child to his own room and suggest possible techniques.)

Most children, when they first start out, are quiet, sometimes whiny, and don't eat well. It can take weeks for them to get used to being there and often does. You grow to love the children and feel as though they are part of your extended family. When they are withdrawn from your care, you, your children, and your charges must adjust to the change and deal with the hurt. Many clients aren't even kind enough to give a 2 weeks notice, so you don't have much time to prepare emotionally -- or financially. (I thought seriously about drafting a contract for parents to sign, but decided against it.)

That concluded my experiment with home daycare. I now watch only one little boy 3-4 days a week, usually from 8-5 and sometimes other shifts. I am making $60-80 a week, or $240-320 a month. My son enjoys the company, and I am relieved to have a child be left with me for more than two months. My son has bonded with the little boy, and they have become friends. Sometimes they even act like siblings. I like that he has a playmate, and I am comfortable taking care of only my son plus one--especially now that I'm pregnant. (Having less parents to deal with is also a pleasure as well.)

As our son grew older, it became more difficult to parent him while greeting people. (I was also sick of the unwanted, often rude parenting advice that my boss liked to give me at every chance.) I had wanted to quit the greeting work-at-home job for months before I finally could. I needed a way to replace that income without spending too much time away from my son or having to pay for childcare. In November I discovered the world of GPT sites, and I finally did quit. I made $300 the first month and $500 in December. In January I went on hiatus from that, embarking on a new work-at-home venture.

It was then that I discovered Associated Content and decided to focus on my life-long love of writing. My goal is to write 3 articles a day, worth at least $5 each, and make $450 a month here. So far I've only made about $150 here, because I've not been able to meet my writing quota. For the past two months my son and I have been plagued with colds and illnesses that come as quickly as they go. I've spent a great deal of time on the couch, resting, and taking care of sick children rather than writing. I have been working extra hard in the past few days trying to make up for it.

I now consider myself a freelance writer and part-time daycare provider, and I feel like I have found my niche as a work-at-home mom. I could make more by writing more, participating on GPT sites, or caring for more children, but at this point I would rather not. I am comfortable where I am, though I won't deny that we could use the extra income. I make about $300 a month from daycare, but have made over $1000 from it in the past. I am making $0 from GPT, but have made up to $500 in a month before. I make about $100 a month here at Associated Content, but I hope to increase that to $450-500 soon.

I would recommend any of these paths for anyone else wanting to be a work-at-home mom. If you want details about starting your own daycare or information about GPT sites, feel free to contact me. I will probably write articles about these topics at some point. The best place to find children for a new home daycare or to babysit is on Craigslist. The best GPT sites are DealBarbiePays.com, CashonTap.net, and CashDuck.com. Check them out if you are interested. It doesn't take long to figure out how to use the sites. Basically, you get paid to try products and services.

Before you decide to pursue a position as a work-at-home mom, let me tell you a little about my life, my time, and how I make everything work. It's not easy finding to keep the house clean and write while watching one or two children. My husband rarely can watch our son for more than a few minutes, before allowing him to slip away and run upstairs to me. Getting him to participate in household chores can be a hassle, too. I've seriously considered cooking up a steak, cutting it into little pieces, and tossing him one as a treat every time he completes a task. (Good boy, Fido.)

My work week begins on Tuesday. Most of the time I get up at 8, and drop off is at 8:30. Some days, I'm lucky enough to get to sleep in a few more hours, but not usually. I never feel like getting dressed right when I wake up. I'm still in the mood to feel comfortable, so I often stay in a comfortable pair of house pants and a T-shirt for the first half of the day. (This ensemble is otherwise known as my pajamas.) I usually don't get enough sleep at night, and I wake up feeling very nauseated. I'm not sure if it's from sleep-deprivation or morning sickness at this point, but I take a phenarghan every morning nevertheless. Working at home is hard enough without adding nausea to the ordeal.

I spend most of the first few hours on the couch. We have only one room downstairs, besides our kitchen, so it's easy for me to keep an eye on things down there. My son wakes up and comes downstairs on his own when he's ready, sometimes right after drop off or an hour or so later. The boys play together, snuggle with me on the couch, or pick at food in their high chairs--usually a combination of those three things each morning--while I relax. This helps my body get the rest it needs, even though I may not get enough sleep. It also gives me time to wake up and, more importantly, allow my stomach to settle. I'm often very dizzy and weak when I first wake up now that I'm pregnant. I've never been a morning person, and mornings are especially hard on me when I'm with child.

Around 11:30, I venture into the kitchen for something to eat and drink. I change diapers and put my son in a clean outfit for the day. While the boys have a snack, I start working on a few chores around the house. I may or may not change into regular clothes at this point. After the meal, we go upstairs to the computer room which happens to be my son's playroom as well. The boys play around me while I try to crank out a few articles. Around 1:30, we head back downstairs for lunch. I feed and change the boys first, then I usually heat up a frozen burrito, bowl of ramen, or can of Chef Boy Ardee. Corbin watches Charmed with me, sharing my meal, while the boy I babysit falls asleep in the playpin with a milk bottle.

Sometimes, I watch both episodes of Charmed--and then stick around for Dr. Phil. This is when I have little to do and/or little energy. Most of the time, after I eat, I begin doing chores again, glancing at the TV now and again. I come back and rest on the couch periodically. It's usually around this time that I really crack down on chores--and go upstairs to get dressed. My son either falls asleep for a nap, too--or follows me around as I work. I try to write another article or two when the children are napping--or at least make some real progress with the housework. Sometimes, but rarely, I nap, too. One of the wonderful things about working at home is the ability to relax if and when you have the time.

The boys rarely nap at the same time, but when they do, the peace and quiet is very nice. Most of the time my son doesn't take a nap at all, and some days the other boy doesn't either. Sometimes one of the children wakes up from a nap, and the next immediately falls asleep. It is very difficult to keep one boy quiet while the other is snoozing. Naps may be long or short, depending on the mood of the individual child. It is really unpredictable. My son just takes a nap if, when, and where he pleases. The other little boy usually will go to sleep at least for a little while if left in the playpen with a bottle. Regardless, naptime is a nice little break for me.

By pick-up time, I usually have the downstairs area clean. I try to have myself and the boys all looking presentable. (The upstairs, however, is usually left a mess.) I spend a few minutes chatting, and my husband usually walks in as we're parting ways. Some days, he walks right back out to go to his second job and doesn't get home until 8 or 9. When he gets home early, it's nice, because I have an extra hand with the boys and the housework. When he does get home early he often watches them while I do chores or try to finish an article. Either way I try to be downstairs when my son's friend is picked up for the day. I feel like seeing him off is part of my job.

If my husband is home, I enlist his help. He may watch our son while he plays Xbox 360, so that I can come upstairs and have some quiet time to write. If I feel like focusing on housework, I try to get him to help me clean. Usually it's the upstairs that needs attention at night, because I've neglected it during the day to keep the area visible to visitors presentable. If he's at work, I try to write or clean while supervising our son, who thankfully takes a nap almost every evening. (He often winds up napping in my arms, making it impossible for me to complete any chores and difficult to write anything.) Then when he does get home, I can finally get some work done--hopefully. I try to do something entertaining at least once a week. My favorite things to do are take my son to the park and go to the gym.

Almost every night, I have a bath with our son before checking my email a final time while our husband dresses him. We're usually in bed by ten, but our son sometimes stays up as late as 2 am. His sleep habits are very erratic, and we've had little luck in regulating them. Even if we get him up early, he still stays up late. Most of the time I end up snoozing while he plays until he's ready to come into the bed and nurse to sleep. This is the reason why I rarely get enough sleep on the days that I have to babysit. Even on the rare occasions when he falls asleep at a reasonable time, I don't get to sleep until a few hours later because I'm busy with something. (Hint: It's the reason I'm pregnant.)

I do daycare almost every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday of the week. I enjoy my off days, because they are a chance for me to sleep in and catch up on many things. I rise anywhere from 10 AM to noon and spend a great deal of time relaxing. It is on these days that I try to get in touch with my family members on the phone. I spend the day running errands, trying to finish the rest of the housework, and attempting to fire off a few articles. On weekend mornings, my husband is home to help me out, although we often end up trying to find something to do as a family. There's usually at least one day a week when I'm completely lazy and hardly do anything at all. This is to make up for all the running around and business of the other days.

As I've confessed, I could earn and do a lot more than I do right now, and I probably should. Unfortunately, being pregnant and frequently sick has limited my potential lately. Hopefully this won't be the case in the next few months. I really enjoy being a work-at-home mom and hope to continue this path for a long while. It is difficult but rewarding. Finding a balance between work, chores, family, and play is probably the hardest part. You have to treat it like a real job and dedicate time to it everyday if you are going to make it work. Above all, working at home takes willpower and self-motivation. No one is there to light a fire under your rear or give you a deadline but you, and you have to do it if you want to succeed. Being a work-at-home mom is definitely worth the effort.