Learning to Rock The WAHMderful Life

I’ve been a WAHM on and off for the past two years. I say “on and off” because the projects/earnings I had were not yet regular back then. It was only during the past few months that I really started working and earning from home consistently, which I am extremely happy about. WAHMing hasn’t been easy but I pushed on because it was my dream to stay home and care for my family and earn at the same time. I’m so glad I did because if I did not I wouldn’t have this WAHMderful life I’m having now. 

I know of a lot of moms who also want to work from home. That’s why when I first heard about the workshop called It’s A WAHMderful Life: A Work-at-Home Moms 101 that Martine De Luna of Daintymom.com was organizing together with Manila Workshops, I knew many moms would sign up and I was right. I was so excited about attending because I really wanted to know more about how to succeed as a WAHM.

I attended the workshop last October 27, 2012 at COWO, located in Pasig City. I got there about 45 minutes early and I was so surprised to find that I wasn’t the first one to arrive. There were already a number of moms present at that time. It just goes to show how excited we all were. I got a chance to meet women, some bloggers as well, who I’ve only interacted with online before. I also met new friends. It was fantastic although I wish I was able to network more. Next time, I will!

Here’s a photo of our group. Such awesome women!

The day was packed with very useful and practical information that WAHMs (and those who want to be WAHMs) can use. What I loved most were the personal testimonials of successful WAHMs such as Marge Aberasturi , Toni Tiu, Michelle Padrelanan, Jenn Tan and of course, Martine as well. It was so nice to hear about their first steps as WAHMs, the challenges they had to go through and how they were able to make WAHMing work for them. These women inspire me, I swear!

Anyway, as a newbie WAHM, I could relate to most of the concerns and lessons presented during the workshop. Let me share with you some of things discussed in the workshop that really resonated with me.

Working at home may sound glamorous but oftentimes it is not. Sure, we get to enjoy being home with the kids, working in our pajamas and taking charge of how to schedule our days. However, WAHMing comes with unique challenges as well. You might not be able to work for 8 hours straight because you also have to tend to the kids and the household. Even when you get to sit down and work, other responsibilities with your family (not to mention the TV, Internet, etc)  may distract you. Unexpected things happen that will force you to change your schedule. Plus, your family has to learn to adjust to this set up as well. A WAHM has to be flexible enough to endure all that. 

 I used to want to want to be one. So, I worked hard at my full time job, enrolled in an MBA program, and at the same time, spent as much time as I could with my husband and kids. However, I still didn’t feel like I was doing enough. Now, as a WAHM, I still get to work, spend more time with the family and do most of the household chores (we don’t have a maid!). I still don’t feel like I do enough sometimes. So, it’s really funny whenever people would tell me how much of a supermom they think I am. They often ask how I manage to pull it off.

Honestly, I don’t do it all alone. The key to my success (if you can already call it that) is my family. My very supportive hubby, who has a full time job working on a graveyard shift, would sacrifice much needed sleep every time I have an event to attend or a deadline to finish. He gives me a break from cooking on the weekends. He helps me clean the house and he tends to the kids, especially our very noisy, hyper but smart and sweet little boy. Our daughters, too, are a huge help. They’re old enough to have their own chores. They clean their room. They set and clear the dining table, water the plants, fold the laundry and watch over their little brother. So, you see, I am not a supermom. I just have a super hubby and super kids. Plus the WAHM group I am a part of on Facebook serves as a support group as well. I am extremely lucky. There are others out there who do not have the same support from their families and friends. 

Most people strive for this. But the fact is, there can never be a real balance because at any given time, either work or life (your family) will need you more. I really love what Martine said about this. She said that instead of a balance, what there is is a DANCE, which I believe is so true. For me, seeking balance means seeking perfection and nothing is perfect. 

For me, I would use the term “JUGGLE”. The freedictionary.com states that to juggle means “to keep (two or more objects) in the air at one time by alternately tossing and catching them”. That is exactly what I do on a daily basis (although not literally!). While I still try to follow a schedule, I cater to whoever or whatever needs me the most at a particular time. So, would this also work for you? That depends. While there are lots of tips or ideas for effectively managing your WAHM life, there is no one home management system that will work for everyone. Find what works for you.

I have to stress here that WAHMderful does not mean perfect. It simply means finding your peace and living the kind of life that you and your family want to have. I know some women who want to be WAHMS but are unsure if they can really be a successful one. Well, I say it really depends on you. Just take me for an example. In the beginning I had those doubts too. Actually, I went back to work again full time from December 2011 to January 2012 because I wasn’t sure if I could really find regular earning opportunities that I could do at home. That job didn’t work out in the end and I was forced to really work my ass off and find myself great work-at-home jobs. I had to change my outlook from doubtful to hopeful. I started to CLAIM IT and before I knew it, great things started happening to me come third quarter of this year. That’s the power of positive thinking!

Oh, I wish I could share with you everything I learned from the workshop. However, there’s really a whole lot. So, if you’re thinking of being a WAHM and you’re really serious about it, I suggest you enroll in the next WAHM workshop coming in January. I’ll blog about that soon. For sure, you’d learn how to rock the WAHM life too.