Clara

The main advantage that it gives me is the flexibility to manage my little daughter’s diabetes – she has Type 1 and needs insulin injections with every meal. She is only 2 and the pre-school she attends doesn’t have a nurse, so I have to go there at lunchtime 4 days a week and inject her. She was only diagnosed 3 months ago and I was SO thankful that I am a WAHM rather than going out to work, as it would be impossible to maintain a full-time job with daily insulin injections, regular hospital visits, calls to the school, dropping everything to go and sort out hypos, etc.

So my two kids are at pre-school 4 mornings a week each (each having one separate day off to spend the morning with me) so I get 3 full mornings of work each week. I am lucky enough to live in Singapore and have a full-time helper at home who often babysits the kids in the afternoon while I work. I get to take them to their gym classes, music classes and swimming lessons, planning my working week around the kids. And even when I am working, shut up in the “office” (my bedroom) while the kids play with our helper in the afternoon, I’m still there for them – I can come out and cuddle them if they fall over, or sort out a fight, or come and admire their paintings or the train track they just built, or whatever.

However, I very often end up working late in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed, meeting European end-of-day deadlines and squeezing in a few extra hours if I’ve got a big project on. That can be a killer, especially if my little one gets up in the night as she often does!

In August my eldest will be 4 and will go to “big school” as he calls it, 5 days a week, so I’ll be able to fit in more work during the day and hopefully the late nights will ease off a little. But I feel that those are a small price to pay for being able to work from home and be there for my kids while they are little. I still get days when I feel guilty for leaving them with our helper all afternoon after they’ve been at pre-school all morning, but my husband reminds me of the alternative – it’s either that, or I go out to work full-time, which would be impossible given Isabel’s diabetes requirements.

Great to see that others are doing the same and gaining the same benefits!

@Dianna, thanks for hopping over, I’m glad you enjoyed the post since I really enjoyed your two! I agree, whether you do day care or not, it brings up all kinds of complicated feelings: guilt, stress, indecision, feeling torn between your career and your kids, etc. but you just have to make the best decision you can with the information that you have. It’s just so much easier once the kids are in school, I think! Thanks for commenting!

Thanks for the wonderful comments on my two WAHM posts for the Wealthy Freelancer blog.

With regard to the day care issue, I really think women have to do what is best for them and their individual situations.

Having lived through it all — and now looking back — I can say with total conviction that using part-time daycare was the best option for my family (although at the time I had loads of guilt about it).

Great post and nice to meet a group of translator WAHMs!

@Judy, love the comment about Luna and I think that a dog is probably almost as much work as a kid sometimes! Don’t let her talk you into too many extra treats.

@Tess, thanks for the link to your article, it is really interesting to read your perspectives too! It must really have been an adjustment coming from a country that has real maternity leave and vacation Thanks for pointing out some of the benefits of your kids seeing you working, I agree that although I try never to let my work come before my kid’s needs, I also feel seeing me work hard at a job I love is important for my daughter too! Thanks for your comment!

If you feel like reading more, you can go to:

http://nordicdivision.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/working-as-a-freelance-translator-with-school-aged-children/

Agreed with Eve — go women!

I too very much appreciate being able to do my errands or attend the kids’ functions or take them to the park when I have time to do so (no projects ongoing or client obligations). After all these years, I think I’d have a heart attack if I had to ask a boss. My corny joke is always, “I asked my boss if I could come – that would be me – and she said yes.”

I also like the flexibility of being able to work while traveling. I hardly ever get a full vacation from work, but I appreciate very much that I can go to France for 5 weeks or Alaska for 3. What a perk (even if I do have to work during some of it)!

Although I have heard of this happening, I personally have never had people discount my time because I “work at home”. Maybe I am just meaner than Corinne and they are afraid to ask. As I know all of you do, I do quite a bit of volunteer work already and pick and choose what to spend my (limited free) time on.

Girl power to all of us – the super mommy entrepreneur freelancers!

@Marianne, you’re so right about eliminating distractions during the work day; especially important when you’re on a somewhat limited schedule as it is. Love the story about your daughter and the client!!

@Jennifer, thanks for pointing out the time difference factor. I find that (at least at the current exchange rates!) it’s a double win- euro clients are paying more these days, and the fact that I’m generally out of my office from about 2:30-5:00 is no problem for them because they’re asleep (while we’re working in our pajamas!!).