WAHM's what do you do?

[Mallory]

What do you do? How many hours a week? Do you like it? Want more or less?

I am thinking about starting my own business. My two ideas are making toys (with dh making lots of wooden toys) or a science class for preschools/daycares (I go to the school and do an experament, show pictures, and bring animals.)

Just wondering what everyone else is doing.

[darlindeliasmom]

I went first, but my work is much more boring than your ideas. I'm a medical editor, and I've worked out of my home for years (can't stand office politics). It was a bonus, though, when DD came along, because I have been able to adjust my hours to her needs.

This year, I'll be working about 20 hours a week, i guess. (she's in half-day kindergarten)

[truly_sarah]

I'm a computer programmer. I work with health care insurance data. The people I work with tell me what sort of reports they want and I do the extraction and number-crunching and send it back to them. Once in a while, I'm 'set loose' to build a model based on dollars but really that seems like too much free-thinking for me these days. I'm content to push the data around right now and let others do the real analysis. I think if I ever go back to school I would like to be a social demographer and spend all my time building cool statistical/behavioral models.

I work about 20-30 hours a week on average. Meaning I shoot for 3 hours a day, every day, but some days/weeks/months I don't work at all and sometimes I will have billable hours that look more like full time or overtime. I've got used to the ebb and flow and sometimes tidal waves or doldrums of my client's needs. On the other hand, I give clients a heads-up when I'm going to be away or whatever days I'm not available for rush work.

I have 'easy' children and if I can stay up past ten, I have a good chance of staying up til 2. Tiredness for me fortunately has more to do with stress levels than actual sleep.

Sometimes I think 3 hours a day is a lot, sometimes I think it is a little. In a couple years I would like to only work 2 hours a day but we will see. So far the work is enjoyable. I have been doing this sort of thing (medical, data, programming...) since I was 18 and it still seems interesting but social demography seems even more interesting as time goes by and it wouldn't be such a big shift from what I'm doing now. I think I can get a PhD without any expense and in fact with a stipend because of my academic record and my computer/research skills. One hopes. We'll have to see if my age at that time is a detriment or a bonus.

Sarah

[truly_sarah]

Removed because I posted twice - how did I do that?

[kindmomma]

I make and sell tye dyes from home. I actually wouldn't call it a job considering I love it! Sometimes I work 3 to 4 nights sometimes only 1 night depending on orders and what not. I supply 2 stores, but do most of my profitable sales on Ebay. My biggest seller is tye de scrubs for doctors and nurses! I do everything, sheet sets, baby baskets for baby showers. aby slings, maternity, nursing clothes! If it is white or 100%cotton it can be died. I have taken about a month off considering I am pregnant and sick and cannot stay up like I used to. I have to work after the kids are asleep!
Shelly

[merpk]

Scoping for court reporters, and transcribing tapes (from various sources).

Work varies, it's a "feast or famine" kind of thing timewise.

I go to sleep with the kids & then DH wakes me up when he goes to bed, usually around midnight, and then I stay up however long I need to, depending on the backlog ... and depending on how much I have to say here at MDC ...

Not so crazy about the work, but since I was a court reporter for many years, I'm very familiar with it, and it's easy to do in pj's & bunny slippers ...

If I've got a deadline & trouble making it, though, I can usually ask my mother to come in & spend time with the kids so as to get work done in the daylight ...

BTW I can't vote more often than not anymore. Why is that, anyway?

- Amy

[Kim]

I'm just starting a WAHM business. Before my dd was born I was a Web Developer/Designer for a big corporation. I created online training courses for thousands of our sales people, or management training for the company.

My WAH business model will look much the same as it did when I was employed outside the home. My clients will meet with me to discuss their ideas, I will design a storyboard of the website and graphics and propose it to them. If they like it, I start the actual building of the site.

It is a little difficult to stay current with technology (before dd, too!) but I'm hoping to make it work.

Kimberly

[pbk]

I have a company along the lines of your first idea. I've had Peanut Butter Kisses in one form or another for 3.5 years now. It's been great, but if you need extra money right away, don't count on an online WAH business like that to supply much if any. Most of the other WAHM with similar businesses I know didn't make any profit in the first years (I was lucky, but my first year it was only like $500). I've heard from numerous places that it takes a good 5 years to see real profits. Right now, my business only pays for the children's clothing and a few small things in our budget.

That said, I love it and won't give it up unless it starts impeding on my family. I work anywhere from 5 hours a week to 20 during the holidays, but I don't count computer time as work because I'm usually nursing at the keyboard. I try to keep things flexible and easy for me so that I can work around my life. We didn't even close down when my son was born 3 weeks ago, but my husband pitched in more. I have made myself delegate things as the business has grown. I stopped sewing diapers two years ago, contracting them out instead. I do still sew the play silks, but only because I love them so much. As much as I love selling items I create, I won't let myself add anymore lines that I have to make. There just isn't time.

Brenda, mama to Abigail, Isabella and Vincent

http://www.peanutbutterkisses.com

[Benjismom]

I consult for pension funds on corporate governance issues like executive compensation, boards of directors, conflicts of interest and the like, plus I do research, writing and press outreach for a company that provides governance analytics. I also take on occasional freelance writing/educational projects related to my field and do some public speaking (stuff that doesn't require an overnight trip).

I work about 20-30 hours a week, although my work is pretty seasonal. Fall is busy, while I can have summer almost off if I choose, which I do!

I am lucky because I absolutely love what I do and it is very flexible. I also feel like what I do contributes to making our economic system more democratic and participatory, which is as it should be. And now, after Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Adelphia, et al, my family actually understands what I do.

[PM]

I am a freelance translator (Italian and French into English). I receive and send my work by email. I have a web site to attract new clients. I also do all the bookeeping and marketing stuff (if that counts!).

I work between 0 and 60 hours/week. Like Amy said, "feast or famine" but it's mostly by choice.

I am on my very last translation ever (and it's driving me batty!). Soon I will be a SAHM in a quiet little house with a garden! I can't wait!

[imakebelieve]

I have a children's theme party business. I have costumes and I come out and entertain with a theme party adventure story where the kids act out the parts. I do all of the work. Invites, rsvps, serve cake cleanup everything. Here's my website
www.makebelieveparties.com
Its great fun. I might open a preschool in my home later on.

Mallory:
I also thought of the idea of doing science for preschools/daycares. I'd be interested in hearing your ideas. I was a K=1 teacher and I really miss it.

[wyattsmom]

I run a horse breeding farm and raise herding dogs. I also do bead work on dog collars, horse tack etc. I also do massage therapy for horses and dogs but Im not doing as much of it since it involves having to leave my boys with someone while I go to the horses. The boys go with to do all the barn work and have gotten pretty good at helping do things like fill water buckets. Im sure hey'll hate horses when they grow up!

[Liz]

I am a freelance product designer. I design housewares like bath hardware (towel bars, TP holders), bath accessories (soap dishes, toothbrush holders), serving dishes, and dinnerware. My major client is a housewares manufacturer here in Toronto who makes acrylic and melamine serveware. We have a retainer agreement for three days a week so I have to be available to them for this time but actually I hardly ever work that much for them (don't tell!). I also do work on a royalty basis for a hardware manufacturer. This means I don't really get paid until it hits the shelves and sells big time. I have three lines of bath hardware due to hit Home Depot so hopefully I will see some good payback soon.

My son is at a wonderful home daycare five days a week. Some of you might wonder how that can be better than WOH. Well, I used to work WAY outside the home, like 1.5 hrs. each way, in a very high stress designer sweat shop. I'd drop my son off at the babysitters at 7:30am and I wouldn't get home until 7-8 at night (my husband would pick up the boy). We ate takeout every night and the house was a mess. Now, we have a leisurely breakfast followed by a nice walk to the babysitters. We stop and watch the trucks or talk about the flowers or collect chestnuts. He might get there by 9:30am. We arrive at the babysitters and I hang out and talk to her and get him settled in. I might make it home by 10. Then I sometimes have very productive days and others are write offs (yesterday for instance). I also do my housework, cooking and shopping during "work" hours so I don't have to do it when my son is around and wants to play. I walk up to pick him up at 5pm. I love love love it. So much I feel guilty.

[daisysmom]

I care for the neighbor children while there mom's at work. She was a sahm until a few months ago. Now that she's getting divorced she has no choice but to work. It works out well though. Her kids used to come over and play all the time anyway, now I just get paid for it.

[shelbean91]

I'm a Mary Kay consultant.

[isadorable]

I am a child care provider- nanny. Dd and I go to the family's house 3 days a week for 6 hrs a day and play with their 2 kids. It is wonderful for dd b/c she loves the kids, and since she is an only child and will be, it's really nice for her to make such close friends.
I was a nursery school teacher before dd was born. I always thought I would open an in home day care, but after working in one, and seeing the owner (a sahm) having to work 50 hrs a week, not making ends meet and burning out on kids, I decided nanny-ing would be better for me.
I love it, I met the family I work for at my La Leche League meeting, the mom is now a leader, so they're very compatable being AP as well.

[mommybritt]

I run an online retail nursing clothing shop I voted that I sell stuff I make myself which is not technically true because although I design all my stuff, I contract the actual sewing out. I work about 10-20 hours a week, mostly when dd is sleeping and I get one good afternoon in every week while my mom takes dd. I love what I'm doing, I just got started in May and I am still very much in the red but I expected that so it's fine. I am reinvesting every penny into my business and adding some personal money as well.

I think your science class idea would be easier to get off the ground financially. Product oriented businesses cost waaaay more money than service oriented businesses

[PuppyFluffer]

I'm a professional pet groomer. I just left full time employment. I stayed on on Saturdays. My replacement has butchered so many haircuts on my clients pets that I'm getting calls at home to groom so, I'm grooming a bit from home. It can be a bit difficult to work around dd as she is only 4.5 months old. I have worked with her in the sling! I usually groom from 1 to 6 dogs a week at home. I'm putting all the money into dd's savings for college! My dh and I have not completed college degrees and really want dd to get a higher education. The language around here is "When you go to college...." not "If you go to college...." I hope she wants to go and I'm doing what I can to be sure the funds are there.

[sparklemom]

I do in-home pet boarding. I'm a life-long animal nut especially for dogs so it doesn't even feel like work to have extra dogs around (a treat actually most of the time), although it is always in the back of my mind what a big responsibility it is as each of my clients are very loved members of their family. My dds enjoy it as well and of course only very loving family friendly pets are welcomed to stay with us. The financial rewards can be quite substantial especially around holidays.
btw, please adopt a homeless pet.

[squeakermansmom]

interesting business sparkle! Do you mind me asking how much you charge? Also, do you have pets of your own and if so how do they get along? thanks!