Google offers a great window into human behavior. I was pretty blown away when I discovered that upwards of 8,000 people (presumably moms and soon-to-be moms) were searching for "stay at home mom jobs" each month.
Why was I shocked? Because being a mom is already a demanding job. So the search "stay at home mom jobs" felt redundant. It could just as easily have returned a list of all the jobs stay-at-home moms already have:
- Play with their kids
- Watch their kids
- Keep their kids fed
- Keep their kids clean
- Keep the house clean
I could go on. I'm not a mom, but I remember all too well how my mom reached seemingly magical levels of multitasking when she raised me - one hand chopping carrots for beef stew, the other typing an email to a client. All while reminding me to do my homework.
The thing is, women aren't actually built with magical multitasking abilities - doing so much at once is hard work and takes practice. It also takes a healthy degree of flexibility.
My mom was able to raise me and my sister and work from home because she had a job that was legitimately flexible. She had a boss who trusted her to get her work done and left her to it, so she could get up at 5am and work for two hours before me and my sister woke up. If we had soccer practice from 6pm to 8pm, she could get a bit more done undisturbed.
When it comes to jobs for stay-at-home moms, this flexibility is key. While you can find any number of work-from-home or remote jobs, not all of them will afford you the ability to actually take care of your kids at the same time. A job that requires you to be on the phone all day might be too demanding of your attention and your time when you're also trying to look after a little one, or make dinner before the kids get home. On the other hand, a job that offers you too much flexibility because it's virtually freelance may not give you the stability - financial or otherwise - that you're looking for.
Of course no one will know your constraints as well as you do - the needs of a mom of a toddler will be very different from those of a mom of a middle schooler - but consider the 5 jobs below if you're looking for a role that's legit, interesting, and flexible.
And don't forget to check out our remote job board for a full and up-to-date list of 200+ legit work-from-home opportunities - stay at home jobs you'll love.
Writer
Writing jobs are great for stay-at-home moms because writing is by its nature a solitary endeavor... which means you'll have more flexibility to work independently, at whatever time is best for you.
Check Out:Remote Writer Jobs
Need to brush up on your skills? Become a Better Writer
Designer
Much like writers, designers (be it of product, UX, or graphics) need to spend large, undisturbed portions of time working creatively. Designers will of course be expected to join product meetings and collaborate with their teams, but it's unlikely that you'll find yourself stuck on the phone all day, unable to do anything else.
Check out:Remote Designer Jobs
Software Engineer
Software engineer jobs are some of the most common remote jobs. While these roles can be highly demanding, there's also a strong culture among developers of working during whichever hours one feels most productive. Companies that have a flexible, family-positive culture will definitely be supportive of your needs as a mom, and a developer.
Check out:Remote Software Engineer Jobs
Need to brush up on your skills? Learn How This Woman Pivoted Into An Engineering Career, Learn How To Ace A Technical Interview, Learn How This Woman Landed A Remote Software Engineering Role
Business Development Representative/Manager
Business Development is a pretty broad category, and some "biz dev" jobs might be more feasible for a stay-at-home mom (or dad) than others. That said, in today's world, business development is much, much more than hopping on sales calls.
Lots of business development representatives actually spend most of their time executing on company strategy by doing online research for leads. This kind of work can be perfect if you need a bit of flexibility and the option to multi-task during the day.
Check out:Remote Business Development Jobs
Need to brush up on your skills? Learn These Crucial Sales Skills
Data Analyst
Data Analysts, like many of the roles on this list, need interrupted blocks of time to do their work well. But that also means that they have the flexibility to make a schedule that allows them to find those chunks of time... and they're not expected to spend all day on calls, putting out fires for customers. (This is key when your first job is already putting out fires for your children.)
Check out:Remote Data Analyst/Scientist Jobs
Need to brush up on your skills?Get Tips From This Data Insights Engineer
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What did we miss? What are some of your favorite stay-at-home mom jobs?
Don't forget to check out our remote job board for a full list of work-from-home (a.k.a stay at home) jobs... And if you're not looking for something full-time, consider these great part-time stay-at-home mom jobs!
