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Working from home can be an amazing thing. You’re able to do what you love on your own terms…but it doesn’t mean you get to slack off. I’ve been blogging for around 3 years and before that, I was a photographer. Over time I’ve noticed there is a stigma to moms (or even not moms) that start their businesses from home. Though you don’t have to be a mom to relate to these, here are some myths people believe about work from home moms that I’m going to BUST today!
Myths People Believe About Work From Home Moms
I thought it would be fun to do a cutesy styled mother and son office shoot for this post, but not only am I strapped on time haha, I realized that’s not “real”, and since I’m trying to keep it real here, you’re going to have to settle for the messy house, kid dressed in who knows what, and messy mom buns haha.
Myth: She has it easy. She just gets to be home all day with her kids and work whenever she wants.
False– I’m not here to say one person has it harder or easier than the next, because we’re all dealing with things, but working from home with a kid is definitely not easy. Not only are we trying to juggle the normal mom duties, but then a job gets added on top of that.
There’s a lot of guilt involved too. Instead of having clear cut boundaries where you go off to work and then come home, we feel guilty that we’re trying to work while our kids are awake. Or we work at night when our kids are asleep and then feel guilty that we’re missing out on time with our husband. Or there’s always the guilt that we’re missing out on time with friends/family. There’s a lot of guilt to be consumed by if it’s not kept in check.
Myth: She should be able to hang out and answer my phone call whenever. She’s just at home all day anyway.
False- Working from home offers flexibility, but it’s certainly not a lounge around all day in your pajamas type of thing. Just like a “real” job (I hate using this term but that’s how people think of it), we have set hours and projects that need to be completed. Working from home is no different. The only thing that changes is the location. We still need dedicated time to do what we need to do! This may mean hiring childcare even if we’re “just at home”. This may mean missing playdates, not scheduling anything on the weekends, staying in at night, etc.
People that work from home still have deadlines, client meetings, and people counting on them to get something done… all things that “real jobs” have!
Myth: Oh, cute. She has a hobby.
False- Some people are close-minded and/or just don’t understand that you can make money from home. We can choose to educate or choose to just let it go. I’ve had many people say, “Oh, I didn’t know you got paid for that!”. I’m not totally money motivated, but I wouldn’t be working so hard and doing something for so long if I didn’t 😉
Myth: She’s just another one of those moms that start a photography business or start selling oils/cleaning supplies because she’s bored.
False(ish)- Okay, so there ARE moms out there that get bored and start something on the side to keep themselves busy. There is NOTHING wrong with that, but not all moms can or should be grouped together. Some want a hobby and some are super dedicated to a full-fledged business. Don’t just assume.
Myth: She doesn’t know what real work is like.
False- What’s “real work?” Doing something and getting paid for it? Sounds like a work from home job to me!
But when we work from home we don’t get to clock out at 5 pm and forget about work until the next morning. We don’t get the same paycheck every week no matter what we do. We don’t have co-workers to have fun with and a boss cheering us on.
WE’RE the boss and we gotta keep ourselves motivated. We’ve got to be the receptionist to the assistant to accounting to the CEO. And a gazillion other things.
People that work from home aren’t escaping “real work”, in fact, we take on double triple!
Myth: She’s just trying to avoid the real world.
False(ish)- I mean, maybe! Haha! If the “real world” means pursuing someone else’s dream and sitting in a cubicle 40+ hours a week then yeah, some people may be trying to avoid the “real world”. Myself included.
Those that choose to work from home usually want something more. Whether it’s more flexibility, more time with their families, more time to pursue what they love, or the chance to make more money.
hey there messy office full of random things!
This post is not meant to complain, but to educate and shed some light on people that work from home, moms or not!
If you have someone in your life that is a photographer, a blogger, has their own Etsy business, or sells oils and/or cleaning supplies, take them seriously because they deserve to be taken seriously.
They’re out there facing the highs and lows of a business, sometimes all alone, because they’re chasing their “why” and doing what works best for them and their family. Just because it’s not in an office doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously!
And if you’re reading this and you work from home, don’t doubt yourself because then you’re just giving people a reason to doubt! Don’t beat around the bush when people ask you what you do. Don’t say. “Oh, I’m just a…. .”
Take yourself seriously. Otherwise, no one else will.
I believe in you.
Are you a mom that works from home? Can you relate to this? Want to add any of your own myths people believe about work from home moms?
P.S- I know transparency is good, but man, these bad iPhone pictures are killing me haha! Check out this post to see Will showing off his best model stuff or this post to see our fun (if not a little styled 😉 ) beach day! You can always head to the “lifestyle” section for more family/life!
