How to Be a Stay-at-Home Single Parent
In 2012, almost 25 percent of children lived with just their mothers, while 4 percent lived with only their dads, according to ChildStats.gov. In single-parent households, it is very difficult to balance the need to work and to be present in the daily lives of your children. Unless you have a passive income source like investments, you may be able to find a way to work from home. This can provide the schedule flexibility and income you need to live.
Instructions
Begin by noting all of your reliable income sources, whether they are investments, child support, alimony, government assistance or your work income. Track your expenses for about two or three months to see how much you spend on necessary items. Note the areas in which you can decrease your expenditures. This can help you determine exactly how much you need each month to simply survive. Build a little cushion for emergencies and savings. Once you have created your budget, stick with it and make adjustments as necessary. Visit the websites of stay-at-home parents, like WAHM.com or FlexJobs, frequently. Browse through job opportunities there and on job sites that allow you to filter by telecommuting positions. Note the minimum requirements of these positions, and which interest you. You can do everything from medical billing and coding, to computer programming, to customer service, at home. You will likely need to make an investment in a computer, high-speed Internet service and, for some jobs like virtual assistant, a copier/scanner and land-line telephone. Also, network online with other stay-at-home parents in forums on work-at-home parent websites. Share your desire to stay at home with your children, and see how other parents have been successful staying at home. Sharing ideas and experiences is a good way to feel out potential income opportunities. Determine the hours you can work from home. If your children go to school, you could work during the day. You could also work at night when they are asleep. Many telecommuting positions, like online tutoring, have late-night and early-morning hours available. If you are an English as a second language teacher, for example, students overseas need lessons when it is daytime or evening for them. Set your schedule so that you can be with your children when they are home. Don̵7;t forget to schedule in some sleep time for yourself as well. Establish efficient systems of cleaning and organization at home. If you work from home, you will need to create solid boundaries between work time and home time. Have your kids pitch in to start dinner or do the laundry. Finding this balance between work and home means you can be fulfilled doing the work you enjoy and being at home to raise your children. Offer in-home child care. This provides a source of income, and you will be staying in the world of work as an entrepreneur and a professional child care provider. Check with your state's board of licensing to determine the qualifications needed to do this. States have requirements of how many children you can keep at one time and safety and health regulations by which your home would need to abide.
