Finding Your Work (at home)
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- Karin
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Bonny Albo
- Karin
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Bonny Albo
- catheriner
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Bonny Albo
- catheriner
- mammatiger
- soontobemom
- soontobemom
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» Karin - I was a freelance Commercial Artist, working out of my Home. My
I was a freelance Commercial Artist, working out of my Home. My only Son was in Kindergaden at the time. I do not believe Mothers should let their children shift for themself or hand them off from one babysitter to the next. A mothers obligation is first to her children, or she should have been a Career Women. After the children are off to College, then the Mother can enjoy her own interrests.-- posted by Karin
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Bonny Albo
- Jessica,
I must thank you for your supportive words. I knew d
I must thank you for your supportive words. I knew deep down that a column such as this was needed for work at home parents, and you've helped to reinforce that!
I have to admit, I have read your column numerous times, and have gleaned great information that has enabled me to be a better nursing mom. I can only hope that my articles are half as effective and informative as yours!
Karin,
Thanks for joining in!
I must agree with you that children should not fend for themselves or be jumped from babysitter to babysitter just for the sake of a parent's interests. And that is most certainly not what I intended to suggest to anyone!
However, there are many families these days who need two incomes just to pay the bills. And for those parents who choose to stay at home, the possibility of working at home is always that - a posibility. I do not want to push anyone into making a decision that they are not comfortable with - far from it!! I would, however, enjoy guiding other parents who choose to work at home towards the resources that they can benefit from.
Each parent, depending on their own beliefs and lifestyles, will choose what is right for them. And for you, it is to devote yourself totally to your child(ren) until they are in college. For others, it may be the same. A judge, I am not. Only an aide along the way for other parents who choose to work at home as well.
My daughter, for instance, does not have babysitters. She is always with me (either in her sling or on my lap) or with my husband when I work. We share sleep, food (she is nursed), and love, and I feel strong in knowing that the choices that my husband and I made are benefitting my daughter, my relationship with her, and our entire family.
Happy Valentines Day to everyone!
Bonny Albo
-- posted by Bonny Albo
» Karin - Working at Home is a great idea, if a mother has the capabilitie
Working at Home is a great idea, if a mother has the capabilities. I just see the mothers in their big Aotomobiles coming from work to pick up their children, exhausted und impationed no time or interest for their true responsibilities. Kids sit in front of the TV all day watching violence and we see in our youth what the results are. Think back 20 or 30 years - did we have the problems of today?-- posted by Karin
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Bonny Albo
- Karin,
I understand your frustration. Nor do I like the idea
I understand your frustration. Nor do I like the idea of children suffering because we (meaning parents, not necessarily us) have had a bad day.
Being a mom is, by far, the hardest job I've ever had. Odd, though, that it is not seen as a job or even a responsability to many. I hear of countries where maternity leave is several years instead of several weeks (if any at all), and I can't help but to wonder if parents and children living in these countries are happier, healthier and safer.
Hmm, anyone know of any studies done?
Bonny Albo
-- posted by Bonny Albo
» catheriner - fair warning - this is a long one! I know that I'm a little l
fair warning - this is a long one!I know that I'm a little late adding input to this discussion but for seven months I worked from home on a contract basis for an insurance company. My old job just done from home. Even while minding my two boys (2 and 6mos at the time I started) I was still able to get more work done than I had in the office and that is what convinced me that working from home was what I wanted to do. My first child had been babysat when I had returned to work and it killed me! Due to various circumstances I left work before our second was born (I was three months pregnant) and was able to get the contract work after he was born. Now, thanks to some advice Bonny put on a bulletin board I will be working from home again. Working with children home just requires organization and balance. We have our playtimes, quiet times and outings and mumma still gets her work done. Now I would not have it any other way. My boys don't watch tv all day as I made up a schedule when I first started working from home and we pretty well stick to it. They have their time to do what playing they want and not have me in their face and that's when I get a lot of work done. They don't need me to be in their face every minute...they also got to go into my prior place of employment and meet the people I used to work with and with my new job I have already been told I better bring them in when I pick up my work.
All I want to say is you can have the best of both worlds, it just requires a little effort and organization.
thanks again Bonny for your advice!!
this is a great site!
-- posted by catheriner
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Bonny Albo
- Catherine,
How old are your boys now? I would love to know ho
How old are your boys now? I would love to know how you juggle the care of both of your children while working from home - there are days when I have a hard time just managing one! :>
Bonny Albo
Work at Home Parents
-- posted by Bonny Albo
» catheriner - hi Bonny! my boys are just turned 3 and 1 now. I had started w
hi Bonny! my boys are just turned 3 and 1 now. I had started working from home in Sept 97 until March 98 and will be re-starting next week as I e-mailed you about that job. In some senses it was easiest for my youngest to adapt since he was so young when I started and it just became part of the routine. My oldest is a very adaptable child and goes with the flow so well he really thought it was fun that mumma worked at home and then he could go visit my workplace. He really enjoyed going to the office. He has a little desk that he can draw, do legos at and he has a v-tech alphabet computer-type thing and he'd sit at his desk and "be hard at work too". My work area is in the basement where I have two desks and a hutch. The toys are down there and there is lots of room for the boys to play while I work. The only downside is we have one bathroom in our house and it is upstairs and that makes for some fast moving since my 3yr old doesn't use a potty anymore(that only lasted a day or two anyhow). But we have our house up for sale and are looking for a bigger house(more bathrooms!!!!) so I'll be able to be even more organized with my work area. I think that is the most important factor to success is having an established and defined work area. Plus my boys see everything and since it's not hidden or out of site they aren't too concerned with bothering with it.I worked out a schedule for what hours I work and what hours we have playtime or outings and I do pretty well keeping to it.
My husband and I were both in the Arny Reserves(Cdn) and are quite routine oriented and our boys are most happy when we are following a routine. I let the oldest help decide on what outings we'll do or where we should go. We just went to Canada's Wonderland and now he wants to go there again!!!
He calls it a big, big, playground.
I think too that I am lucky in that my boys are quite well behaved and independent thinkers and very good imaginations. Sometimes I just sit and watch them playing they come up with some pretty interesting things.
I'm not sure how to explain how we make things work but I do know that probably the most important factor and which of course I saved til last is the support of my husband. He believes in me and is very happy I am capable of working from home and have a position(again) that will allow me to do that.
If you want to know more feel to ask me!
Catherine
-- posted by catheriner
» mammatiger - Looking for real work at home jobs
I am a single mother and I have tried email procesing and just seemed to be scammed. I lost about $100 on one of them and wished I did not fall for it.I have a few years working with computers and doing research for topics on the web for friends and family. Was a computer technician for a year and a half.
I have one little one who I would like to stay home with.
I am looking for a job that does not require me to put money into it before I have to start working.
mammatiger
-- posted by mammatiger
» soontobemom - Re: hi Bonny! my boys are just turned 3 and 1 now. I had start
Catherine, I hope this reaches you. I noticed you wrote this message years ago. i am looking to start working from home and do not want to get involved with scams. Do you have any advice. i will be having my first child in Nov. 2001. Thanks, Catherine K.-- posted by soontobemom
» soontobemom - Re: Looking for work from home opportunities
Hello there. Did you happen to get any good advice or come across anything decent for working at home?? I would like to start and feel the exact way you did a year ago. Thanks, catherine-- posted by soontobemom
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