From WOHM to WAHM?

[nina_yyc]

I am currently a f/t WOHM but thinking about making a move to WAHM within the next year. I'm a television editor and thinking about buying my own equipment and going freelance. I'm not learning anything at the company I'm working with and I think I could get better projects off my own track record than I could working for them. I get 2-3 freelance calls a year, despite the fact that I haven't marketed myself as a freelancer in over five years. I am hoping that if I really networked and advertised I could up that number big time. Plus I can also charge for use of my equipment as well as my own time, so it should mean more money in less time, even if it means less money altogether until I build a steady client base.

In the next couple of months I am planning to create a new demo reel and start calling up contacts and tell them I am leaving my job within a year. In my dream world this will mean I will be able to book enough clients to take the sting out of leaving my job.

My DH is being really supportive about everything. I will probably keep DD in child care at least p/t and if I can't use the time for clients I will use it for research and marketing. I don't actually think I want to try doing this without DD in daycare - I did some small projects with her around on mat leave and even that was almost impossible.

We are TTC another baby but I don't want to wait another 2 years to get everything started. Since I would no longer qualify for paid parental leave, if I had work booked, DH would take the parental leave.

OMG the thought of paying for childcare without guaranteed money coming in is scary though!!! How do you all handle it?

[Neth Naneth]

I completely understand the idea of wondering if you are not going to come up with all the money you need to pay the bills. That is a major stress that comes with WAH, until your business is booming of course. I'd try and have a nice little nest egg that you could raid in the event that you had a month where you didn't get the work that you thought you would. Staying a month ahead of the bills really saves me a ton of stress. Also if you have a plan B (which probably would apply to you) just something that you could do to pull in the some money from a second source you could do that while your DD is in childcare. I wish I had better advice but I certainly wish you all the best of luck.

[prairiesprite]

I am at a similar crossroads right now - I am an architect and DH (also an architect) is going from running his own firm to working for a large company. I am planning to take over the business, but need to work on 1) organizing my time if I have no externally-imposed structure and 2) marketing (I am a good architect but not necessarily a born self-promoter - who is??). I agree that some amount of childcare will be essential, especially for meetings, etc.

I am looking to be in the "green" residential market, so I need to figure out how to strike a new balance between "mom" and "professional", given that some of my kid's friends parents are possibly potential clients!!

[nina_yyc]

Neth Naneth - what do you do for your plan B? I can't really think of anything I would do that's at all comparable for $$.

I will probably have enough money saved to survive some dry months, but after that Plan B is getting another job, trolling for freelance work at other companies, or pulling the plug on childcare and SAHMing while trying to do the business very part time. We can afford for me to SAHM...not forever, but in between jobs wouldn't be a problem.

[nina_yyc]

Originally Posted by prairiesprite

I am looking to be in the "green" residential market, so I need to figure out how to strike a new balance between "mom" and "professional", given that some of my kid's friends parents are possibly potential clients!!

Sounds like a great business idea Good luck!

[camprunner]

Well, I'm a big fan of keeping my kids at home. Our schedule has helped though. If they are busy playing there are some easy things to do that don't require a lot of concentration; this includes e-mail and other simple tasks.

At my house we have a mandatory quiet time and then a TV show they like comes on (I also have mandatory TV off times because it's not something you want to use as as babysitter) and before the show after their favorite goes off, their Dad is home to watch them. This generally gives me 3 uninterrupted hours (or very little interuption) of work to do those things that require a lot more concentration. if they aren't finished during nap/quiet/TV time then I try to put them down until the girls go to bed. DH does not like watching them after he gets home.

I would think the most important thing would be exactly what you said, an emergency fund for anything your income usually pays for. Would part time child care be more feasible than full time since you are at home? Would your hours necessarily HAVE to be 9-5, M-F?

[nina_yyc]

Originally Posted by camprunner

I would think the most important thing would be exactly what you said, an emergency fund for anything your income usually pays for. Would part time child care be more feasible than full time since you are at home? Would your hours necessarily HAVE to be 9-5, M-F?

The p/t childcare idea makes sense. I think my DCP would negotiate.

I'm not thrilled with the idea of avoiding childcare entirely. I don't like the idea of losing a space in a great day home or sucking DH into deadline stress.

On the hours thing... it probably *could* be flexible but I don't know if it *should.* What I do requires 100% concentration for long stretches and I'd prefer that be in the hours when DCPs work.

I'm worried that if I don't do childcare, I'll see even less of DH than I already do He does shiftwork on a rotation and is a military reservist so when he's available I'd rather we were spending time together.