What are some good work from home jobs for a stay at home mom?

You can always make money, but the trick is to figure out what you A) can do from home and B) what do you WANT to do from home.

Working takes time away from your family. And if you're an SAHM, you're likely doing it because you want to be there for your kids. So before going down the work-at-home road, ask yourself WHY you want to work.

The answers can be put into one of two categories:

1) Financial need
2) Personal need

If it's financial, is it at a critical level? Do you need to make as much as possible immediately? Or is it a general desire to add to the family bank account to help level up your living standards?

If it's crucial that you work, grab a calculator and start plugging in numbers -- you may be better off paying for childcare and working out of the house.

If you're looking to make a few extra dollars to help pay for guitar lessons for the kids or pay off your car loan, you have a lot more freedom in what you choose to do with your time.

Start a blog? I have a friend who easily earns 1K extra a month through advertising on her site. Check out Mom 2.0 for more blogging ideas.
Are you crafty? What about starting an Etsy store? There are loads of Etsy success stories -- why not you?

My favorite idea is coming up with a solution for other local moms... what are their pain points and how can you help? I can promise you we moms have a lot of pain points (laundry, cooking, cleaning, shuttling kids about, lunches, homework, etc...)


If your desire to work from home falls into the Personal category, then you're in luck. That's the easiest one to fulfill because it might not actually be a job you want. It's possible that what you really need is to feel like you are more than a mom (because you are). Start asking yourself why you want to work, and see where it takes you. Don't stop until you get to the heart of your desire... each time you ask and answer a question, ask "why" again and again.

It's likely that simply devoting time to yourself will satisfy your need to work because many times once we become a mom it consumes us, and we lose our sense of self. We want to feel alive again. Important again. Excited again. Like someone again. Not just someone’s mom. It's about finding your life balance. How can you give to yourself while giving to others?

The good news is there are ways of becoming more of who you are without giving up being there for your family. Start by looking at who you were and what you were doing before you had kids. What made you feel alive and joyful? What about before you got married? How did you spend your free time?

Take that list and connect it with your life today. How can you incorporate those exact or similar activities into your life now? Start small by doing one thing for yourself each day for a month and then add a new one until you begin to feel whole again. Make rituals for yourself just like you do for your family. Soon you will find your life balance.

It's possible that work IS what you're missing. If this is the case, as it is for me, discovering what makes you happy is an exciting journey. You don't have the pressure of having to work -- you're doing it because you want to. That's a gift.