Freelancing when you have children can turn into one long balancing act. Depending on where they work, many freelancers find themselves with one eye permanently on the clock to time their activities and try to squeeze in their work around their children’s schedules. This can only work for so long before both the work, and the children, suffer. If you are considering freelancing, decide what kind of time you have to dedicate to your work, and when this time will fall. Many freelancing parents make their schedule work by working during school hours, employing childcare in the home or leasing a freelance office so that they can have the freedom to work without interruptions.
Working During School Hours
Freelancing tends to be a flexible profession, so many parents choose to complete the bulk of their work during school hours. This means that they can spend time with their children when they arrive home from school and they don’t have the added expense of arranging childcare each day. However, not all work can be finished only during these morning and early afternoon hours, so freelancing parents may find themselves rising early to complete work before the household is awake or staying up late to finish work after everyone else has gone to sleep.
Employing Childcare In The Home
Some freelancing parents, especially those with young children, find that employing childcare in the home is a suitable arrangement for their family. Whether they hire a full time nanny, part time mother’s helper or an au pair, these parents often enjoy the close contact of their children but the peace of mind that they can finish their work without needing to pay close attention to them. However, freelancing parents who opt for this arrangement must remember that there will be a transition period in which children will want to run for their parents instead of their childminder. It may take several weeks, or even months, for children to understand that when their parents are working they can not see them, and this can be a tough rule for freelancing parents to enforce.
Leasing A Freelance Office
Still other freelancing parents decide that it is best for them to make a firm distinction between their children and their career as well as their home and their office. Leasing a freelance office, whether it be for a month or a year, a desk or a full room, is one way for freelancing parents to make this split and enjoy some professional freedom. But leasing a freelance office isn’t for everyone. Leasing an office brings added costs, and commuting times and can make it even harder to arrange family schedules. It may also mean that childcare must be arranged for the hours that the parent is away from the home and in their office. Freelancing when you have children requires patience, dedication and flexibility. It can be hard for freelancing parents to separate their work life from their home life, but many freelancing parents find success by working during school hours, employing childcare in the home and/or leasing a freelance office.
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