Initial Thoughts on Working at Home

This is more like a primer of what readers should expect to see from posts in this blog from now on. Since this is a place for W.A.H.M.s, I figured I might as well start with the basics. First, and I hear everyone behind my back asking, what the hell is WAHM? It's short for Work At Home Mom, so don't ask me again if I misspelled my site name by typing in WAHM instead of WHAM because I sure as hell didn't. So let's get down to the other basics. Let me start by saying that WORKING AT HOME IS NOT FOR EVERYONE.

Okay. That was a bit of a downer for a primer, eh? Although I'm not here mainly to bust the myths surrounding the glories of working home (as I, myself loove being what I am today), I would just like to stress the fact that the choice to work at home does have its downsides too. It takes a lot (did I say a lot? Yes. i meant A LOT.) of guts to shift from being a normal career woman who has a nine-to-five job to being a WAHM. But let me not spoil your appetite for reading by weighing the pros and the cons as far as I see it. As with all other career paths, choosing to become a work at home person has its share of boons and banes.

Let's hear it for the oh-so-wonderful stuff

Many of you may have heard of the joys of being a WAHM. Well, I would have to say that they are, indeed, true (did I just hear sighs of relief?) There are actually a lot to boast of, and since it is already late into the night (and besides, you will hear me yapping all about this once I get my groove and start blog-posting like crazy), let me point out two of the most (at least for me) rewarding benefits.

Be able to spend a lot of time with your child/children.

"But I know that already!, you cry. Yeah, well, unless I bludgeon you with the idea, you will not really get the essence of how great a feeling it is to be able to watch your child closely on a daily basis. You say I would not have any point of comparison since I have not felt how it is to leave my child at home while I go work my butt off someplace far? I have, in fact. As soon I was able to work after giving birth, I took off to my mom's house since I didn't have my own computer at that time to work with (her house was only a block away from us, but boy, that is far enough when you have to leave a little child). And I hated every single minute that I was away from her. Too emotional for you? You'd only say that if: one, you are a guy so you don't have maternal instincts or two, you don't have children yet.

I think that's the worst phase that moms go through. Having to leave their child/children to the care of someone else while they try to earn a living. So that's why I made it number one on my list. (Note to self: Oh, so you have list now, huh? Make sure to NOT forget to continue with the rest of it). It was then I firmly resolved to get my own computer so I won't have to leave home (it takes the fun off of working at home when you're not exactly at home, right? Hehe. So now we live in another city, I have my own computer, and I can fully savor the joy of being with my daughter 24/7.

Work at your own pace

This is probably the most cited reason for working at home, not only by moms. You can choose to work evenings, or in the wee hours of the morning, or not work at all (my personal choice, if only I don't need the money), and nobody would tell you off for it. You can choose to work in your pajamas (my favorite work outfit), and nobody would give a bleep. You can stop work at desired intervals to check on all your social networking sites, update your blog and what-have-yous. Hell, you can even choose to not come back at your work until such time you feel up to it again. In short, you do not answer to anyone but yourself. I guess this is where discipline comes in. This very advantage would prove a drawback for some who cannot manage their time well.

Is this post getting too long? *checks to see* Yeah. It is. So I'll save the disadvantages for later. I'll leave you craving for the rest of the post (I hope).