Raising kids while earning money can be a difficult balance to get right. While most of us want to be around for our children as much as possible, we need to earn enough to pay the bills- and also keep our skills sharp for our own sake in some cases. Thankfully there are ways it can be done, here are a few ideas.
Work part time
If you have the option to work part time, this can be a great way to keep building your skills without feeling like you’re missing out on raising your children. You could either return back to your previous career or workplace part time, or look online and see where is hiring which offers hours that would work for you.
It doesn’t have to be the most amazing job in the world and it doesn’t matter if it’s not what you want to do forever. It’s a way to earn money in the here and now, and hopefully build skills that will look good on your resume. It also prevents you having large gaps in your employment history.
If it’s something local and isn’t too stressful then it’s worth considering- if you’re the kind of person that likes to be out and doing things, it can prevent you from getting cabin fever by staying at home too. Just be sure to workout your childcare options, unless you’re getting help from family and friends it’s not always worth working since the childcare costs can outweigh what you’re earning. But definitely something to consider.
Study from home
If you’ve chosen to be a stay at home mom, there are things you can be doing to help out towards your career in the long run. Take online study for example, you can do this in any free time you get and it’s completely flexible. You could study for a degree which would open plenty of new doors when you come to apply for jobs later down the line.
If you’ve already got your degree, an online masters would allow you to specialise. If you’re qualified in a nursing field for example, an msn leadership degree would allow you to get a higher, and higher paid position when you come to apply.
Start your own business
If you want to earn money but can’t, (or don’t want to) leave the house where you’re caring for your children, why not start a home business? It’s very possible to earn a good living doing so these days, and you don’t even need any particular skills.
Buying and selling stock for a profit for example could earn you a decent income, of course if you do have skills then you could make you own things to sell. Whether it’s occasion cakes, jewellery, homewares or more. Since you’re the boss you can decide on the hours you want to work, and you can really fit it around your parenting and other things you need to do during the day.