Mothers Working From Home - Numbers Are Growing

A growing number of stay-at-home moms are becoming work-at-home moms-- and loving every minute of it.

Many women, when they have their first baby, go back to work because they love work and love the paycheck--especially in tough economic times. Then comes baby number two and everything doubles: child care, stress. Guilt. That's when many women who never thought they'd become stay-at-home moms sit down with a calculator and realize, to their horror, that their net income is ridiculously small, thanks to the expenses related to working. And sometimes this epiphany happens with baby one.

It's a tough realization, especially for women who have worked much of their adult life--- that they are working simply to pay for the privilege of working. One solution that many women are finding is starting new careers or reformulating old careers so that they can work out of their homes.

Some moms stay at home from the beginning, making a life decision to be there for their kids despite the possible financial hardships such a decision might entail. But even the most dedicated mom gets a little stir crazy after a while and needs something more mentally stimulating than Baby Einstein.

Stories are everywhere about women who found far more fulfillment creating their own jobs and being their own boss while at the same time being there for their children. Working from home is a way that women can have it all, and why not?

Staying at home with your children is wonderful, but it's not the perfect solution for everyone. Some women feel their self-worth is greatly diminished because they are not contributing financially to the household. Right or wrong, these feelings are real, and one way to get rid of such insidious thinking is to make some money. It's amazing what even a small paycheck can do to help someone feel vital.

The beauty of working from home is that, in most cases, you are not working eight hours a day. You have amazing flexibility, and as your children grow and become more independent, you can expand your businesses or work schedule---and without the guilt.

Some women have been so successful with their home businesses, they've turned them into full-time careers while still enjoying the ability to be home with the kids when they need you.

Working at home is not for everyone. If you have infants or toddlers, you're going to be in for one of the most stressful times of your life unless you have the ability to let some things slide. It's not easy when you have a deadline and a crying child.

What ever the negatives are of working at home, the positives far outweigh them. Chances are, your kids aren't going to remember how well you did with your job, but they will remember that, because you worked at home, you were there for their school play or coached their soccer team.

The Internet has expanded the work-at-home opportunities, allowing even women who had no intention of working in or out of the home, a way to contribute to household finances.