I had an interesting thought the other day. Ever since my daughter was born, I have been struggling with the SAHM/Working Mom decision. A little back story on where that road has taken me so far:
When my daughter was first born, we lived in Minnesota and I was teaching piano and music lessons part-time through my self-owned music studio. It was fun work, and I loved the latitude I had running my own business. I also enjoyed that it was part-time - I could spend a sufficient amount of time with my daughter and also have the opportunity to "get away" and put my brain waves and intuition to good use. It was a nice balance.
My husband having been the bread-winner at the time, a job opportunity in his field in Denver moved us back home. I then lived as a SAHM for 3-4 months. I almost lost my mind.
I have noticed since I've been married that there are folks that are very well suited to being SAHM's full-time, and others who are not. It has nothing to do with mental capacity, work ethic, or love for one's children, it's just preferences (if you're familiar with MBTI, I strongly suspect it has something to do with being either an 'N' or an 'S' - the 'N' being the one that does NOT do well staying at home). I have seen many, many women struggle to find meaning and purpose tending children full-time when their brains desire a different type of stimulation.
I eventually decided to simply dive in to the work world full-time, and it has treated me well for the past few years. However, I wonder if there is a way to have "the best of both worlds"; to spend time at home with your kids and work part-time or even full-time without putting in 40+ hours per week or checking in to an office every day.
I think we all have seen the meriad of ads online and elsewhere for "work at home, full-time pay for part-time work!!". It's BS, and honestly a little silly, in my opinion. But I think such a situation CAN be created if one is willing to invest in or put effort towards using time and talents for a business based off one's skills and abilities. I literally spend TONS of time thinking up new business ideas for myself that would allow me to work from home, or have the autonomy I so desperately need, or simply cut down my hours so I can spend more time with my daughter. The newest idea in my pool actually involves helping others do the same thing.
So that bring me to this question: If you are a SAHM, or know other SAHM's that struggle as I did, would you be willing to invest in a consultant that can do a thorough analysis on your skills, abilities, preferences, desires, passions, etc. and creatively brainstorm a new, unique business that would allow you to do what you love on your own timetable? I know it sounds almost similar to the annoying ads I referenced in the previous paragraph, but here's the caveat: it takes time to build a business, and I would never promise to bring all those promises to reality in a short time (particularly on the financial side). It would require building a strong business plan (which I've already done with my other business ideas and in my current position), and having the patience, confidence, and tenacity to move on it. And by patience, I mean 2-3 years to start seeing a measurable profit.
What do you think? And if you like this idea, when are you available to explore further? :)
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