5 Reasons it Feels Good to Be a Work at Home Mom

The choice of whether and how to work once you become a mom can be a difficult one that leaves you constantly questioning whether you made the right decision.

If you’re currently a stay at home mom, working at the job of raising your kids and keeping up with the house, you likely wonder at times, “what if” I started working again?

Oftentimes, moms who stay at home with their kids feel guilty when they get the urge to have a job outside their children, even if they’re considering work from home options.

After all, despite all the joy they bring, the kids are certainly enough of a “job” even if you don’t also factor in the laundry, housework, and cooking.

Does the urge to have your own business therefore make you a “bad” mom who doesn’t love her kids enough to want to devote 24/7 to them?

Well of course not, but our own internal self-doubt, as well as potential disapproving comments from our circle of stay at home mom friends, can certainly make us feel that way.

If you have a desire to start your own business and work from home, here are five reasons you should kick the shame out of your head and start feeling good about that possibility.

1. It’s Good for Your Mental Health

Studies show that moms who work at least part time are happier than stay at home moms.

A 2012 Gallup Poll showed that stay at home moms were more likely to report anger, sadness, and depression than moms who worked. 

The stay at home mom was also less likely to say she smiled or laughed a lot, learned something interesting, or experienced enjoyment and happiness the previous day.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Family Psychology had similar results.

There, mothers who worked at least part time reported better overall health and fewer symptoms of depression than stay at home moms.

While neither study explored the “why” behind these results, it makes sense that when a mother gets a chance to connect with other adults and pursue a job she enjoys, it makes her feel good.

As much as we love our kids, they are a 24/7 job, which can get isolating and overwhelming if we don’t pursue other interests.

If you’re considering having a business from home, rather than having a job outside the house, this decision has the potential to make you even happier because you won’t have any of the guilt associated with “leaving” your kids when you go to work.

2. You Develop a Strong Individual Identity

You may have heard other moms say, or even thought to yourself, I’d like to have some legacy in my life that’s more than, “I spent my life driving kids to soccer practice.”

Motherhood comes with more joys than any job could ever provide, but at the end of a long day, we often don’t feel like we’ve accomplished anything beyond just being a mom.

And it feels good to have an identity beyond being somebody’s mom.

We usually don’t get many props for keeping the kids alive and the house at least passable.

When you have your own business, your successes in helping clients, reaching your income goals, and collaborating with other entrepreneurs bring about a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that doesn’t come with motherhood.

This may, in part, explain why moms who work are less depressed than stay at home moms.

3. You’re Not Missing Out on the Opportunities SAHMs Get

When stay at home mothers consider working, one of the big hesitations is what milestones and unique opportunities they’ll miss out on with their children.

If your children are young, you want to be there for their first steps and the new words they produce almost daily.

As they get older, there are the opportunities to volunteer to go on class field trips, and to attend class parties and performances that happen during school hours.

As a work from home mom, you control your schedule. There’s no boss to approve your afternoon off and no HR department to tell you you’ve used all your vacation and personal days.

You have the ability to schedule in the class field trip the same way you would a business meeting or client call.

Essentially, you have the best of both worlds in that you get to be involved in all the important aspects of your child’s life, while still having that important identity outside of being someone’s mom.

4. Increased Financial Stability

Who couldn’t use a little extra money?

Even if you’re financially stable without working, think of the extra trips you could take, the times you could say “yes” to your kids without thinking about money, and the assurance you would have if something went array with your partner’s job.

Not having to worry about finances, or just knowing that you’re solid even in the event of an emergency, takes a huge weight off your mind and opens you up to being more present with your kids and your partner.

And what if having your own business would give you more than your family needs?

Think of the things you could do.

When your child’s field trip permission slip came home you could check the box saying you’d send extra money to cover the kids whose families can’t afford the fees.

You could give freely to a charity, or start a charity around a passion of your own.

We learned the other day how volunteering is scientifically shown to make us happier because of the feeling of giving to the community is gives us.

When you're able to use your extra dollars to give to those in need, it's certain to provide you and your family with that same sense of happiness.

There’s just no downside to having more money!

5. You’re Providing a Strong Role Model for Your Children

No matter what direction your children decide to go in when they grow up, running your own business beside them provides your children with the best possible positive role model they could have.

Whatever you do, you are going to be your child’s most influential role model, at least when she’s younger.

Showing her that you can make dinner, run three kids in different directions, and help four clients with your product or service all in one day sends the message that she can do anything she wants to do.

Having a job outside being mom can also foster your child’s independence.

When he sees that mommy's sole function is not just to provide for him, he’ll not only be interested in the other people you’re serving, but will also learn that he can make his own sandwich if mom has a phone call at lunch time.

Ready to Get Started?

If you are currently a stay at home mom considering or actively looking for a home based business, we can help.

Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs is a successful entrepreneur who has started 10 businesses, but who was once a single mom with no money who had to find a way to feed her kids.

Cheryl loves mentoring other moms through the early stages of entrepreneurship, and has opened up memberships to KidsPartyCharacters.com as a way of cutting down the learning curve and getting busy moms into profit as soon as possible.

With membership you’ll get an exclusive territory in which to book parties, the right to use our 200+ costumes, access to our casting director and acting coach, and business training and support from Cheryl herself and the team at KidsPartyCharacters.com.

If this sounds like an opportunity that might be a good fit for your life, schedule a free, no-pressure chat with Cheryl right here and she’ll answer any questions you have and lead you in the right direction.

Also join us on Facebook to learn more about how fun and rewarding a Kids Party Characters business can be.