So, When Are You Going Back to Work?

by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 28, 2015 | Be Prepared, Income, Saving Money

Once upon a time, I was an elementary music teacher.  I really enjoyed teaching children.  Watching them grow into little musicians was such a treat.

Meanwhile, back at home I had two babies within 16 months of each other.  And then I became pregnant with our third child.

And as much as I loved my students, I didn’t love being told that I had to choose between my job and going with my sick baby to the hospital.  

I didn’t love the politics at the local level, or the national level, or anywhere else.

And I didn’t love being forced to constantly prove that my job mattered (since music is often the first thing cut from a struggling school district’s budget).

A Dream Come True

When our family could finally wiggle room for me to be a stay at home mom, we made the move.  The summer my third baby was born, I put in my notice and gave up my teaching job.

Sometimes it feels like that was a lifetime ago…and I suppose it was my third born’s lifetime ago! But no sooner than meeting our goal of staying home with our kids, I began to hear a certain question.  If you are also a stay at home mom, you probably get this question as often as I do.

“When are you going back to work?”

Let me clarify that it doesn’t bother me when people ask this.  I think it’s a natural question, since we so often identify with each other through work.

But I tend to hem haw around that question.  There’s not a great answer.  I doubt I’ll ever be a full time teacher again.

In fact, I’ll let you in on a secret…  I don’t want to go back to work for someone else.

What Else is There?

If you’re a “road less traveled” kind of gal, you have the same kinds of thoughts.  There are so many ways you can contribute financially to your family, even without a traditional job.

When you start out as a stay at home mom, more work is probably not doable.  Caring for a young baby or toddler, especially while pregnant and not getting enough rest, makes taking on additional work at home nearly impossible.

But as your babies grow, you’ll start to find more space in your day.  That’s time that you can start to put to work for you, if you want to.

Starting a New Dream

With new found free time on my hands, I decided to try blogging. And I’ve learned that I enjoy blogging for so many reasons!

• Create something all your own.
• Connections with other Moms you might otherwise never meet.
• Using the blog to create a business and make some extra money for your family. Extra money that would mean paying down debt more quickly.  Extra money that would mean being able to make larger contributions to worthy causes and people who are truly in need.

My blog is still pretty new, and I haven’t made any money from it yet.  I’m still learning how to blog and where I fit in on the world wide web.  I want to be very deliberate about what I do here.  I want to be sure that the choices I make don’t benefit my wallet more than they benefit my readers.  So I am still reading and researching.

Becoming a Money Making Mom

That’s why, when I learned that the title of Crystal Paine’s newest book was Money Making Mom, How Every Woman Can Earn More and Make a Difference, I couldn’t believe the timing.  Just as I was ready to join the world of entrepreneurs, there was a perfect book just waiting for me.  It was like an amazing God wink.

Crystal generously offered me an advanced copy to read.  I have to tell you, this book is encouraging. She has a way with words that makes you feel like you can accomplish great things.

Money Making Mom offers real world advice that any Mom with an entrepreneurial spirit can follow.  She gives real life examples from women who have their own businesses from a variety of backgrounds.

This book is unique from other entrepreneurial books I have read.  In addition to discussing the whys and hows of beginning a business, it also talks about keeping a good balance in your life between work and family.  (That’s a struggle I think all working Moms can relate to!)  And her words about generosity are truly inspiring.

I am not a person who typically purchases a lot of books since you can get them from the library.  But I would definitely purchase this book to keep as a resource.

It’s that good.

And I promise you that I wouldn’t promote anything that I wouldn’t truly purchase myself.

If you aren’t sure yet (or if just want more great resources!), you can try a free 5 day course about how to Make Money from Home.

Have you ever considered starting a business?  What is stopping you from beginning or from being successful?

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