It’s not going to be long before the summer is over and your kids will be going back to school. If you’re also going to be saying goodbye to the last of your brood, you might be wondering what you’re going to do with all your spare time. When all your children are at school full time, it’s going to be another chapter in your life. While there’s nothing wrong with being a stay-at-home mom, you might feel the need for a little more interaction and a new challenge.
It might be a few months away, but it’s never too early to start making plans. Such momentous transitions take time, research, and planning. It’s also something you’re going to need to discuss with your partner, and if your kids are old enough, it might be interesting to hear what they’ve got to say on the matter.
Whatever choice you make, it has to be one that’s right for your family. Here are five options you should consider.
Continue Being a Stay at Home Mom
Of course, this is the most obvious option, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider it. Never feel guilty or embarrassed about choosing to remain a stay at home mom – there are plenty of good reasons why it’s the best possible choice, and you’ll have no problem filling your days.
Think of all those years you’ve felt like a headless chicken running around never getting anything done as well as you’d like to. With the little ones packed off to school all day you’ll be able to focus on keeping your home spotlessly clean, be better organized, plan healthy meals every day, run errands and perhaps even tackle that project you’ve been meaning to do for years.
You’re also going to have more free time so relish it. You’ve been a full-time mom for quite some time now so you deserve a rest and have earned some relaxation time. There’s also the flexibility that comes with this role. If your kids are ill or can’t go to school, for whatever reason, you’re going to be available. You don’t have to worry about arranging care for them if the school decides to close for the day.
Think about how you can lighten the load for your partner now you’ve got more time on your hands. There may have been no complaints from them when they’ve got a long list of jobs to tackle after a long day at work, but that doesn’t mean it has been easy for them. You’re going to be able to take over some of the mundane tasks that were always left to them. Your partner is going to be able to enjoy coming home from work and being able to relax.
It’s the Perfect Time to Pursue a Passion
When you’ve got a household to run and kids to take care of, there’s little time for pursuing the things you love to do. Would you like to be able to spend more time in the garden creating a beautiful oasis of calm? Perhaps you’d like to try your hand at growing produce of your own and maybe keeping chickens. Have you always dreamed of writing a book or learning how to take breathtaking photographs? If there’s something you’ve always dreamed of doing but never found the time or energy, now’s the perfect time to fulfill your dreams.
Some might think of this as just a hobby, but you’ve got the opportunity to make it something more. A passion project is something a little more than killing time. Find something that stirs you and that you’re longing to do.
Work from Home
Thanks to technology, there are endless opportunities for anyone who wants to work from home. It tends to require a specialized skill but there are definitely more opportunities to work from home than ever before. If you want to know what’s available, the best thing to do is visit a range of different job websites. In the search options make sure you type in remote jobs and you’ll be surprised how many hits you get. Here are a few examples of the type of remote work available.
· Writer or blogger – you’ve got lots of relevant experience to share with any would be parents, so why not share it by way of a blog or website content?
· Travel consultant – this is a remote working option that’s becoming very popular, possibly because it often includes the benefit of travel credits that can be used for family travel.
· Social media specialist – this is more than posting selfies and family news on social media channels. You might be involved in checking ads and content for relevancy or creating content for a company’s social media sites.
· Recruitment Coordinator – would you like to help others find jobs? This type of role involves helping HR personnel with their recruitment process. It might include looking at resumes, performing background checks, helping with interviews and bringing new employees on board.
· Graphic designer – if you’ve got an artistic flair, there may be a job for you as a graphic designer. You could find yourself involved in a variety of tasks from designing a book cover to creating company logos.
· Proofreader – this role involves checking formatting, confirming facts, checking grammar and much more. You need to be a very detail-oriented person with a high level of language skills.
· Online teacher or tutor – you might not realize it, but education has been part of your daily routine for a number of years. You’ve helped your kids with their homework and taught them important life skills. These are skills that can be turned around to earn you an income.
· Data entry specialist – this can be a very flexible role that allows you to manage your daily routine by working when you’ve got the spare time. You’ll need strong keyboarding skills and sharp attention to detail.
· Customer service agent – do you like talking to people and helping them solve a problem. Why not try being a customer service agent?
· Health coach – you’ve been working hard to stay in shape all these years, so why not use your experience to help others? A remote role as a health coach can be a good way to help others lead healthier lives while keeping your own on track.
· Marketing specialist – in this role, you’ll be working to promote a product or service through branding and outreach. It’s the type of position that takes many forms including content strategist, SEO specialist, or marketing coordinator.
Go Back to Work
If you had a career before deciding to stay at home and raise a family you’ve always got the option of returning to that career. You may have been lucky enough to work for a company that would happily have you back. If you don’t, all is not lost. You will need to ask yourself a few questions, such as how many hours do you want to work and will you be looking for a full or part-time position? If you’d like to work full time, think about who is going to take care of the kids before you get home from work and if they’re sick or not in school for some reason.
Do you think your skills are up to date or are you going to have to think about further study? Thanks to technology it is possible to train or study for qualifications from home. If you’re interested in a career in infant nursing or midwifery, for example, there are NNP schools that offer courses online.
Before you start applying for jobs, get some advice writing your resume. As a parent, you’ve got a wide range of transferable skills that a prospective employer would love to hear about.
Become a Volunteer
One last option worth considering is volunteering. It’s the kind of work that can be very rewarding and fulfilling. Put those few spare hours to good use by helping out at a local charity or community center. There are lots on non-profit organizations who are always looking for people to lend a helping hand. It’s also going to look very good on your resume and may provide you with some opportunities to brush up on your skills, network and get some professional references.
Look for charities or community organizations in your local area. Get in touch and offer your services. You might find yourself helping at a local animal shelter getting the animals accustomed to human contact. You could help elderly people with their shopping or sit with them for company, dishing up hot dinners for the homeless, cleaning green spaces of rubbish, providing entertainment at an elder home, or helping at a local school or kindergarten.
Now you’ve got a few ideas for spending your time productively all your children heading off to school might not seem such a daunting prospect. This is a new chapter in your life, and nobody else is going to write it for you. Who knows, you might discover some things about yourself you never knew.
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