I am a SAHM who WFH

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What does "working from home" mean to you? Many times when a friend or co-worker would tell me they planned on working from home I would think to myself "lucky duck, you don't have to do any real work today". I'd imagine them sitting on their couch eating bon bons, wearing sweatpants, and drinking Four Loko. They would play video games and catch up on Grey's Anatomy, stopping around lunch time to check their emails and reply with a generic response:
"I will be out of the office all day and available by phone or email - between the hours of 12:30pm and 1:00pm."

I left my job of nearly 13 years about 6 months ago because we relocated to Buffalo. I worked on my feet all day and interacted with over 30 employees a day and assisted 50+ guests a day. I loved it! I absolutely adored my bosses and created a lot of lasting friendships throughout the years. Going for the occasional after work happy hour or bringing pot luck lunches to share in the break room was an added bonus.
Now I work from home. I get to be with Miles all day AND contribute to the family income. It is a blessing. Plus, the new gig is pretty perfect. I am working as an online chat adviser. The hours are part time and split very well between Monday through Friday. That being said, holy cow it is NOT sitting on my couch eating mike and mikes and drinking wine.
I have a little corner of the living room set aside as my office space. It has a perfect view of where Miles plays so I can keep an eye on him while typing away.
 Snacks and post-its are a must

Being able to see his smiling face during a shift...priceless

There are days that Robby's schedule fits perfectly with mine and he can be with Miles while I work. On the days he has to be at the restaurant, I'm left to juggle a 1 year old who is increasingly frustrated with being cramped up in his play yard (let's not lie, it's a cage), a skittish pit bull, and work. Our team has a goal of responding to each online chat within 3 seconds. Needless to say, I can't really walk away from my laptop whenever I like. My co-workers are wonderful about allowing each other a few minutes here and there to change a dirty diaper, grab a snack, or put kiddos down for a nap. Those precious naps! I cannot be more grateful to Theresa for teaching me the importance of scheduled naps.
I am currently looking for a sitter who can help on the days I work long hours. Right now my only babysitter is every Friday at 4:00pm. Ellen Degeneres takes care of Miles for an hour, he really enjoys the time they spend together:)

Officially, I've lost my $@#t a little over 20 times. Working from home is really hard, being a mom is really hard, being a homemaker and wife is really hard. This is where I should apologize for saying all of that, but I just don't want to. I love my life, my work, and my family. The rewards are abundant and it is hard.
So the next time you meet a stay at home mom who also works from home, please give her a big hug from me.


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