Let’s look at this further. What we mean is that you can still work your full-time WAHM job, but add something in to break the monotony, or perhaps bring in extra money for holidays or to fill in a gap when your industry slows down temporarily.

These jobs likely won’t net you full-time income, but they are fun and interesting alternatives from the everyday work that you might be burnt from.

Letter writers

At Christmas, many WAHMs make extra money by writing letters from Santa. These can be postmarked from the “North Pole” or they can be on special paper or they might include special treats from Santa. You can build a quick website and market it to other moms who might be interested in their child or children getting a letter from Santa.

There are also websites that specialize in writing letters for people who can’t do it themselves or who want to present a more polished image than their own writing might provide.

Cake bakers

Many at-home moms turn into amateur bakers for weekend gatherings, from birthday parties to weddings. If you can bake well and can learn, or know, the art of cake decorating, you can make extra money at home selling decorated cakes.

This can be a nice break from your regular WAHM job, especially if your regular job is a solitary or sedentary affair. Making and decorating cakes can be creative, offering a nice respite from the demands of a less creative job.

Mystery shopping

If you miss being out and about while working your WAHM job, you might want to pick up a mystery shopping job now and then. These can be quick (taking less than an hour) but can net you a few dollars and sometimes free products. Look online for mystery shopping companies that provide services to the kinds of business you would like to shop – you might do mystery shops at restaurants, apartment complexes or cell phone kiosks.

Sell products

While many moms make a full-time living as consultants selling everything from skincare products to food, you can do it on a part-time basis and work when you need some variety or extra cash.

If you decide to sell items as a part-time gig, make sure you read the fine print carefully of the company you sign up with. Some have minimum requirements you must meet on a monthly or quarterly basis. Make sure that even on a part-time basis you can meet that minimum requirement.

Go outside the house

Working at home might be what you have always wanted to do and you are happy with all that it brings to your life. But you might have a desire to get out more. There are always options for very part-time jobs that serve you well in some way. For example, if you are a fitness freak, you might work just a few hours a week at the gym, netting you not only some extra money but likely a break on your gym fees. You might work just during the holidays at a department store.

The key to creating a WAHM arrangement that works for you is to work through any challenges you might face working at home. Picking up a now and then extra job might be the key to keeping yourself happy working at home.

1.Time

When you work outside the home, you lose a lot of time. Not at work, because when you work at home you might likely put in as many hours as when you work outside the home, but after work, and before work. Depending on where you live, there is a commute to consider and other obligations that might keep you from getting home just when you like.

When you add kids to the mix, being gone a lot is a problem. They need to see their parents, and when you work outside the home, you might be gone up to 10 hours a day (or more, depending in your job and that commute). When you work in the home, you don’t need to “leave” for work until it’s time to begin work. No commute required. And when you’re done with work, you can leave and be home, well, immediately.

2.Chaos

The life of a household with two working parents can be chaotic. You might get home from work only to turn right around and head to soccer practice, or gymnastics, or piano lessons, or a combination of all of them. There’s a certain amount of chaos build into that situation.

When you work at home, you are already there. When it’s time to head to soccer, you simply shut down your work for the day (or for now, if you intend to return later) and you go to soccer. Sometimes you might even be able to bring your work with you.

In addition, you won’t have any of the scheduling problems that moms who work outside the home might have. You can allow your kids afterschool activities and play dates. You’re there to either supervise or do the driving.

3.Money

You might be surprised to discover that you can save money by working at home, thereby increasing your net income. When you work at home, you don’t have to pay for full-time daycare. Depending on the ages of your children, you might need to take advantage of some part-time daycare until the kids are in school, however.

You won’t have a commute, so you will save on gas, and you can likely save on clothing. Even if you do meet with clients, or do parties, or work partly outside the home at your home-based business, you can have a much simpler work wardrobe than you would have if you worked outside the home. Since you won’t see the same people everyday, you can settle for fewer work pieces. Mostly, however you can dress very casually if you work at home.

You might also see a savings in unexpected areas. You will eat lunch at home most or all of the time, thereby saving on lunch costs. You won’t be caught up ordering things from co-workers or their children. You won’t have to contribute to the workplace birthday fund.

4.Quality of life

Of course, this is debatable in that not everyone can claim that working at home gives them a better quality of life. That’s due to the simple fact that working at home isn’t for everyone. But if you think that working at home might be the thing for you, it’s important to consider that your quality of life might improve.

When you work at home, you have much more control over your time than you do when you work outside the home. Depending on what kind of work you do at home, you might have absolute control or just some control, but in either event, you will ultimately have a bit more control over your time than when you work outside the home.

If the kids get sick, you can be there for them. If you get sick, you can take a day off and make up for it the next day. If you want to take a day off and run errands, or see a movie, you can do that. You ultimately control when the work gets done and as long as it gets done, you have a great deal of control over when and how. For people who like to work at night, working at home is ideal because they can work through the night and sleep late the next day.

There are many benefits to becoming a work at home mom. Consider what’s important to you in life and then consider if working outside the home or inside the home is the best way to achieve those life goals.

Step One:  Know and accept that you cannot, nor do you want to, do it all.  Wonder Woman is a comic strip.  She had size double D chest, a miniscule waist, bulletproof bracelets and an invisible airplane – she’s fiction!  Besides all of that, she didn’t have kids or a business.  If she did, she’d know to focus on her strengths and the tasks that make her the most profits and the tasks she enjoys and to outsource, automate and eliminate the rest.

That means if cleaning the house takes too much time away from your profits and you cannot round up the troops at home to help, consider outsourcing the task to a cleaning service.  Likewise, if customer service takes too much of your time, consider outsourcing it – there are wonderful and cost effective services to handle just about any task you can think of.

Quick tip – to help you determine if it is cost effective to outsource, determine your hourly value by dividing your annual profits by how many hours you work each year.  For example, if your annual profits are $100,000 and you work 20 hours a week with four weeks of vacation each year that’s 960 hours a year or $104 dollars an hour.  Anything you outsource will ideally cost you less than $104/hour

Step Two:  Schedule time for everything – that includes fun!  Scheduling, and a good scheduling system, are the key to focused productivity.  If you know that from 9-12 each day you’re working on writing content and from 1 – 3 each day you’re open to exercise, volunteer, or share an afternoon with a friend, you’re much more likely to stay sane and get a lot accomplished during your morning work time.

Step Three:  Set boundaries, expect interruptions.  Life is full of surprises and usually when we least expect and welcome them.  Set boundaries with your family and friends so they respect and support your schedule and work time however, make room for exceptions. For example, your child is practically guaranteed to get sick on your big product launch day.

Step Four:  Make time for you.  Personal care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.  Whether you’re single or married with children or without, male or female, it’s important to take time out of your busy schedule to do things you want to do.  If you’re a mother it’s even more important and if you’re a mother and an entrepreneur, it’s essential.

Life is about balance and in order to even the scales between work and pleasure, even if you enjoy your work, it’s important to make time for self-care.  It can be anything from a trip to Tahiti, a day at the spa or a bubble bath by candlelight at the end of the day.  The important thing is to practice it regularly and make it part of your life.

Step Five:  Set aside time to plan.  Yes, schedules and goals are essential to business growth however, if you’re a busy mom on top of being a business owner, planning your business often falls by the wayside.  Schedule time to plan your business regularly, for example each month.  Outline what you’ve accomplished, where you want to go, and how you’re going to get there.  This habit will help you be more productive and you’ll be able to reach your business goals much faster.

Being a mom and a business owner isn’t easy however when approached strategically and with a bit of the common sense only a mother can bring to the table, you can have your proverbial cake and eat it too, without sacrificing your sanity, your profits, or your family.

So, let’s look at Elise’s story.

Elise runs a website design business from home. She doesn’t have a separate office, but rather she works out of the family’s front room, sometimes welcoming clients there but usually working through email and the telephone. She has a husband who works full-time and 2 children – 7-year-old Ethan and 3-year-old Sasha.

Here’s how Elise might structure her day, as she tries to get time in for herself, for the household, and for the kids, all while she works a full day in her business.

Elise gets up early in the morning and tends to emails and work she can do quickly before getting the kids up. Before they head to school, she showers, makes beds, makes them breakfast and lunches, and starts the laundry. Later in the morning, she will take a break from work and start dinner in the slow cooker.

After the kids are at school, Elise works several hours without interruption before taking a quick break for lunch, which she packed the night before for herself. She also goes for a quick jog before heading to pick up Sasha at preschool.

In the afternoon, Elise reads to Sasha and plays a quick game with her before giving her “quiet time” which is when Sasha – who gave up naps long ago – plays quietly while Elise works. During this time, Elise also rotates laundry and pays a bill or two. Mostly, she’s working on client projects.

Right before telling Sasha her quiet time is over, Elise makes a quick work-related phone call. When Sasha’s is quiet time is over, she and Elise head over to school to pick up Ethan. Before heading home the three take time out to enjoy the park that’s adjacent to school.

In the afternoon, the kids want to play outside, so Elise takes a laptop outside and works remotely while the kids play and she keeps an eye on them.

When Elise’s husband comes home, she takes a quick break and makes salad and slices some bread to go with dinner. While he plays with the children before dinner, she finishes up her work day and makes a list of things to tackle first thing the next morning.

There are a few elements of Elise’s day that are worth noting.

First, she plans the evening before for the next day. She makes a quick list of what she needs to tackle first so when she gets up in the morning and she’s groggy and not thinking clearly, she is ready to hit the ground running. She doesn’t need to waste time figuring it out. As part of her evening routine, she also makes sure she has packed a lunch for herself, so she doesn’t waste time making lunch the next day, and she plans and packs the kids’ lunches and snacks. She also knows what will be for dinner the next day and she’s prepared to deal with it when the time comes.

Second, Elise makes time in the day for herself, answering quick personal emails and taking a jog. But she is focused on work and she doesn’t waste time with watching a soap opera on TV or texting friends.

Finally, Elise manages to take time for her kids as much as possible. No matter how busy she is, she tries to remind herself why she is at home in the first place and that’s to be available to her family and children.

Elise’s daily experience won’t be yours, obviously, but much can be learned from her good habits.