"Mom, Play With Me." And Other Things I Hear While Working At Home.
I am writing this while my son is asleep and my daughter is in the bathroom. Working from home and homeschooling are a difficult challenge sometimes. I own my own graphic design and photography busines, plus being a mom, plus homeschooling- it can be a lot sometimes. Yes, I only get a part-time salary, but it still pays for trips to the zoo, swimming lessons, clothes, toys and special outings. All these things add up!
Sometimes I even have to work during the day- not my favorite thing to do! Depending on what session I have to edit, depening on my etsy orders (I have two etsy stores and one society6 store, see below for links), I could be working while the kids are watching TV or playing.
I love being able to call my own schedule. I love being able to go anywhere with my kids and not have to ask for time off. But it is hard to balance working from home, plus being a wife and mother.
But sometimes I fail at doing all those things at the same time. Sometimes I look through my etsy conversations and see that I haven't answered one in a week (and the lady needs a custom design by tonight!) Sometimes it's as if one of my spinning plates is neglected.
Balancing work and life is difficult sometimes. I stay up later than most people, getting my work done in the wee hours of the night. When most people have TV show they watch faithfully, I am working on new designs, making business cards, updating the website or editing photos. Whoever said that stay-at-home mothers don't do anything, has never been one. Making dinner sometimes becomes just reheating fish sticks. I work hard. Sometimes though, I think that I am working TOO hard.
When my daughter says to me, "Mom, I'm more important than your website." Ouch. That hurts.
Or when I actually look forward to TV time, because that means ME time. Oh how selfish I can be. sometimes.
I know it was hard for me to decide to stay home over 5 years ago. I have my M.Ed, for Pete's sake! Cleaning up throw up and changing diapers was not what I had in mind for a career switch! So when I decided to be a mother, I wanted to have something to do from home. So I had this crazy idea to be something I never went to school for: graphic design and photography. Oh how innocent I was! I thought just buying a camera would make me a photographer! LOL! I am learned so much since then.
This shot was from one of the first weddings I ever did! I thought that giving them a blurred and vintage photoshop look would be "cool" for all of their photos! HAHA
You really have to start somewhere!
This was this past year, using only natural light. Hardly had to touch any of the images in post. They were classy the way that they were.
To all those "Work At Home" parents. I feel you. I know you can understand the feeling of typing on a computer while having a toddler hit your keyboard every two seconds. You understand that "going to the bathroom" means you can check your email really fast! I understand that when your kids are at the park and you are on your phone, making a business call. I won't judge you. I have to do it too.
Be Encouraged Today!
Christal
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