7 truths about being a work-at-home mum.

Okay, maybe I spend all day in my pjs. But I work harder than I ever have in my life.

When I say I work at home, I can see the look in people’s eyes. It goes something like this: You’re-just-a-slacker-who-doesn’t-give-a-toss-about-her-career-now-she’s-had-a-kid look. You know the one I mean?

I wish I could tell the truth, but I don’t bother because I know everyone thinks working at home is code for doing sweet fanny adams in your PJs all day.

So for all the doubters out there, here are a few truths about being a work-at-home mum.

1. You will work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life.

If you’ve ever had to fit client work around a toddler’s schedule, you’ll know it’s not for the faint-hearted.

You will juggle emails while making dinner. Write with music blaring in the background. Get up at 4.30am to finish urgent work. And you will do all of this for less pay and fewer benefits than you enjoyed in a previous life.

Just sayin’.

2. You will envy people who work in an office.

Not only do they get to hang with adults, they can enjoy their lunch in peace and maybe write an email or two without a little one trying to hammer on the keyboard.

They get to wear decent clothes that don’t have food stains on them. And after all that, they get to go to Friday drinks.

Jealous doesn’t quite cover it.

3. You will feel conflicted.

No matter how good your childcare is or how determined you are to work only during nap times, in my experience, something has to give.

For me (and I suspect for many others), it tends to be housework. And I won’t lie. Cooking dinner sometimes falls by the wayside too.

It’s not a bad compromise most of the time, but you will question your priorities when you’re getting dressed out of the laundry basket for the third day in a row. Unless you have plenty of help at home, you need to learn to live with a laundry pile that deserves its own postcode.

4. You will be knackered.

Late nights are hard to avoid, especially when your kid decides that a 30 minute nap is perfectly acceptable on the same day that you’ve accepted a rush job. There is no point getting stressed. You just need to suck it up and burn a little midnight oil.

5. No one really believes you’re working.

Your friends will want to meet up for coffee and play dates or come visit you when you’re working. And you’ll be tempted to say yes because after all you have a ‘flexible’ work life. But if you’re not careful, flexible can turn into working until 3am.

There will always be people who treat your work as if it’s an imaginary friend, no matter what you do or say.

6. There will be days when you’re convinced it’s not worth it.

You’re kid is sick for the third week in a row, the nanny didn’t show and you’ve got four articles due before teatime.

These are days when a calm head is needed and you’re grateful for the kindness of friends and neighbours, not to mention the talents of Justine Clarke.

7. There will be days when you realise it’s all worth it.

I know I’ve given you all the downsides to working at home, but the truth is nothing beats being around to give your little one a cuddle in the middle of the day or take him to the park for an hour.

Most of the time you will feel incredibly lucky to have a flexible work life, especially when you remember that this time in your life won’t last forever. If anything, it will be over way too soon.

Are you a work at home mum? How do you cope?

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