Balancing both a job and a family is incredibly difficult, but it’s become much easier now that working from home is the norm. Remote work has made it possible for parents everywhere to easily satisfy the needs of their children while remaining employed from the comfort of their own home. This is especially true for freelancers.
If you’re interested in beginning your own freelancing career, then you’ll be happy to know that most freelancing jobs offer a sufficient paycheck, flexibility, and job satisfaction — but of course, it depends on what job you end up with that corresponds with your skill set and experience. The following are some of the most common and most lucrative work-from-home jobs to consider:
- Blogger
- Transcriber
- Online Tutor
- Virtual Assistant
- Social Media Manager
- Web Developer
- Copywriter
- Photographer
- Video Editor
- Bookkeeper
There are plenty more jobs that suit the remote working set-up, and most of them can be found on freelancer websites. These are places where aspiring freelancers can market their services, or find job postings to apply to. Some websites may charge a small fee to be able to use them, but not all of them do.
Although there’s plenty of freedom to enjoy with a freelance work-from-home job, and more time to attend to the needs of your children, these circumstances can also present a host of new problems and challenges. Here’s how you can make freelancing and parenting work.
Ask for help
Outsourcing parts of your job can make it much easier for you to stay productive and dedicate time to more important tasks. You can hire a virtual assistant to help you manage your day-to-day business tasks, or a fleet of independent contractors if you need to secure an event venue or materials. It’s also helpful to ask for help when it comes to childcare, perhaps from relatives or friends who have spare time. You could also outsource someone who can take care of the child during work hours and also perform household chores to further take the pressure off from you.
Keep to a schedule
Although you may have more flexible work hours now, especially since you don’t have to commute to work, it’s actually incredibly easy to fall into the trap of wasting that valuable work time as a work-from-home freelancer. That’s why it’s important to plan or a to-do list and stick to a strict schedule every day. This allows you to be more productive and focused during this time, and helps you achieve what you set out to do. You’ll also have more time to spend taking care of your children’s needs if you’re able to maintain a thorough schedule.
Set-up a designated workspace
Working from home presents a number of distractions that you won’t normally find in a traditional office setting. It’s important to set-up a dedicated workspace for yourself so that you stay organized and concentrated on the job at hand. You don’t need to invest in expensive equipment to create the most ideal home office for your needs. The most important thing is that it’s located in an area that’s relatively quiet and free from clutter.
Lay down explicit boundaries
You can easily blur the line between your personal and professional life when freelancing from home. This is an issue that almost all work-from-home freelancers come across at one point in their careers. You can avoid this by making sure there are clear boundaries between your work and your personal commitments. Let your family know not to interrupt you when you’re working unless it’s an emergency, set aside time for childcare after work hours, and clearly communicate your availability to your clients. Doing all this early on will helps you be an efficient worker and a more attentive parent.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew
It’s tempting to take on more jobs than you can actually handle, especially if you’re in need of money. But the truth is, it won’t be worth it in the long run. You’ll only be setting yourself up for an intense mental and physical breakdown. Take the time to acknowledge your limits, pace yourself with your workload, and only take what you know you can definitely handle. At the end of your work hours, don’t push yourself to work any more than you already have. Make sure you pencil in time for self-care to further stave off feelings of burnout in the long run as well.
Assemble your support network
The most effective way to make work-from-home freelancing and parenting work for you is by having a strong support network behind you — whether they’re your family, your friends, or even a licensed therapist. In order to avoid burning out too soon, you’ll need people who can help you when the workload gets too tough and support you if you simply need to take your mind off the job.
Plenty of parents around the world are now having to adapt to simultaneously parenting their children while working. It can be a handful, but it can also be incredibly rewarding if you’re prepared for it.
