As if you there wasn’t enough to deal with when you are beginning to make the transition of housewife to work at home mom, there’s going to also be the unfortunate obstacle of dealing with the stereotype. There will be those who undermine what you are doing, friends that expect you to be available 24/7, and even family members who may not understand the work and energy it takes to run a home business.
The best thing you can do from the start is have a clear cut work schedule and share it with everyone from the get go. Be firm when it comes to your availability and work privacy. Just as you wouldn’t show up unannounced at someone’s work place and start chatting with them unexpectedly or drag them out of their desk without notice, you should be given the same courtesy and respect. If this is to be a real business, then it has to be treated as such.
If you happen to have a spouse or demanding children that don’t quite understand why you’re not able to do everything as quickly as you used to do before you were a work at home mom, then explain it to them over a coffee. Show them a visual of what has to be done for your work on a daily basis so they can grasp what it is you actually do. They may even be impressed and offer to help out more!
The important thing is to be patient and know that it is a very common obstacle that new work at home moms have to go through. It’s an unfortunate fact that some people simply won’t understand (including family members and friends), but if it’s something you’re passionate about then you must stick with it and stand your ground. Many times, the same people who give you a hard time with the change at first, will come around once they see how serious you are about your home business.
