Why I'm a Work@Home Mom

I've been a work at home mom for 3 years now. In 2008 I was laid off from my job at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center 2 weeks after giving birth to Matthew. Talk about a tough blow! This was right at the first plunge of the economy and finding another job was slim to none, not to mention I had just given birth (emergency c-section).

I knew that I wanted to be home with Matthew, but these were not the circumstances I had in mind. Thankfully, I was able to collect unemployment.. it wasn't as much as I was used to bringing home but hey, it was income! Not wanting to use up all my unemployment benefits I started praying really hard that God would open up a door for us. Prayers were answered and we were able to find a bigger home at a price we could afford and it was the perfect place to set up a day care. I had done child care 10 years earlier when Austin was a toddler, so it seemed like a no-brainer!

After moving into our house I set up "shop" right away and began caring for children within a month. I told myself that I would do child care until Matthew goes to preschool then I would get a job.Well, Matthew has already started preschool and I'm still doing child care. Why? Because I've come to realize that being at home is where I'm meant to be. I have the flexibility to adjust or accommodate my schedule to meet my family's needs. I'm able to be home to help Wade with his business paperwork and be home when Austin gets out of school, (that's really important since he's a teenager now, close monitoring is a must!).

Aside from my child care business, I also have an apparel printing business. They both keep me pretty busy, but the income allows me to continue being home. I started my printing business a year after I began doing child care. Printing Christian t-shirts was something I had been wanting to do for awhile, I just didn't have the means or the resources to do it. In the beginning, I started out doing adult tees, but I soon discovered that children's items were a better target market for me. With so many saying and designs out there, I wanted to create something that I would want my child to wear.. something that was inspiring and positive; verses sarcastic or crude. I wanted to do something different.

Throughout last year, Wade & I participated in almost every craft fair on Maui. This was where I was able to fine-tune my target market by seeing what consumers needed and wanted. Doing the craft fairs was also a way for me to meet new people and have real adult conversations.. conversations that didn't have anything to with "going to the potty" or asking someone to "use their words" lol..

I love being a work at home mom. Some days (most days) are pretty crazy and chaotic, but I have a sense of satisfaction within knowing that it's me raising my children and not someone else. I'm there for every victory, trial, and challenge in my children's lives and it's such a blessing. Surely, I didn't plan it this way. I loved my job. However, my current job has better benefits that just aren't worth giving up! I'm thankful that God has opened doors to allow me to be home for my family.