Stay at Home Moms and Their Very Real Jobs

As a stay at home mom that wants to work from home, many people may seem like they don't take your seriously. Even when you find that elusive perfect home-based job, it's hard for other moms to deal with sometimes. There's always this not-so-hidden perception that because you're a stay at home mom, you can't actually be working. Not all stay at home moms work, and if you have friends who don’t it can be hard for them to understand that your days aren’t free.

Of course, you know that you're working. Don't take it personally that many people think that working at home isn’t working at all. While your schedule may be flexible, your wallet isn't, and you'll need to let your friends know that time is money. This is especially true for well-meaning friends who call in the middle of the day, husbands that expect you to be doing chores, and family members who make offhand comments. It's up to you to help your friends respect your time, so setting a working schedule, and making it clear to them is essential.

If you don’t have a clear work schedule, you should set office hours for yourself. Make sure that the people that may inadvertently intrude on you are aware of this schedule - you will be unavailable from a certain time to a certain time, but you can talk before or after those times. If you have some especially intrusive friends, you may even want to turn off your cell phone.

Your husband may have difficulty understanding why, if you are home all day, the housework isn’t done. Make sure you take the time to educate him and help him understand your job. Let him know what you need to do each day, and how long it takes to do each task. When your hubby understands that time is money, he'll come to appreciate your time on the job and off the job. You can team together to come up with solutions for working at home and maintaining the household. Make a list of things that need to be done each week, and assign duties to you, him and the children (if they are old enough). If you have any special projects, let him know in advance that you're going to be a little overburdened that week.

Don't take it personally if people forget that you have a real job when you work from home. Gently remind them that you have schedule to adhere to. While working from home is a convenience that many people envy, the reason you work from home is probably so you are more convenient to your children and spouse, not your well-intentioned friends. Remember, working at home is new territory for many people and they just don't understand it. If push comes to shove and you find yourself with an unexpected guest, you can politely invite them inside and let them know you can't visit, but they are free to stay while you work. Then slip back into your office and commence working. I guarantee that after a half hour or so, they'll realize you have a real job.