The Best Stay at Home Jobs for Moms
What are the best stay at home jobs for moms?
Being able to stay at home with your kids can be such a blessing. But if you need to contribute to your family’s income, that means you need to find a great work from home job.
As a busy mom, you probably know that not all work from home jobs are created equally.
Not only do you need flexibility to take care of your kids throughout the day, but you also need to make sure you’re getting paid a fair wage.
With that in mind, I have rounded up some of the best stay at home jobs for moms.
Each of these jobs provides you with the ability to stay at home with your kids while also working and earning a living. That means you can contribute to your household income while also getting to enjoy time with your kids.
How great is that?
What to Look for in a Work from Home Job for Moms
As a mom, finding a work from home job is a little bit more complicated. There are a few important aspects your job needs to have to make it work for you. When looking for a stay at home job, try to find job options that have these characteristics:
1) Flexibility
One of the most important aspects of having a work at home job as a mom is the need for flexibility. Luckily, flexibility can come in different forms when working from home.
Your job could have a flexible schedule, allowing you to work at different times throughout the day around your kids’ schedules.
Or your job could have the flexibility to pick your schedule, which means you can work when the kids are in bed or after your partner gets home for the day.
Either way, finding a job with flexibility is an essential element for success as a work-at-home mom.
2) The ability to take frequent breaks
This aspect goes hand in hand with the need for a flexible schedule.
If you find a work at home position that requires you to work a set schedule, you need to make it clear to your superior that you’ll need to take frequent breaks to tend to your children.
Let your potential employer know up-front that you have children at home, ensuring they understand your need for leeway when it comes to your work schedule.
3) Limited phone and/or video calls as part of your required tasks
You know how difficult it can be to talk on the phone when you have kids around. Think about what it would be like trying to talk on a business call with little ones at your feet.
While it may be difficult to find a work from home position that completely avoids using the phone, seeking out positions that don’t require you to be on the phone is another essential factor to work from home success as a mom.
But if your job does require phone use, return to factor number 1 – flexibility. Job opportunities that require phone use but also offer a flexible schedule could work as a stay at home job for moms.
4) Fair pay
If you have ever searched the internet for work from home opportunities, you can quickly see that not all online jobs offer a fair rate of pay. Make sure that you’re getting paid what you’re worth. That way, you won’t feel like you’re taking time away from your kids to work for nothing.
The Best Stay at Home Jobs for Mom
Now that you know what to look for in a work from home job, you can start figuring out what type of job is best for you. There are a variety of great opportunities for moms to work from home now, which means the possibilities really are endless!
Here are some of my favorite stay at home jobs for moms:
1) Freelance Writer
If you have a knack for writing, working as a freelance writer is a great way to earn money from home. And there are so many ways you can earn money as a writer! Think about all the different outlets that need written content:
- Websites: Writing copy for websites is one of the best ways to earn money as a writer from home. Look for ads seeking out website writers or reach out to some of your favorite sites with article ideas.
- Newspapers: Contact your local newspaper to see if the need any local stringers or columnists. You can do interviews over the phone or online and write the articles on your home computer.
- Magazines: Writing for magazines is another great way to start earning an income as a freelance writer. Head to your favorite magazine’s website to see how to submit your work for consideration.
- Marketing firms: Many marketing firms hire freelance writers to help them write copy for their clients’ websites and advertising campaigns. Contact marketing firms in your area or search online for firms who hire freelance writers to find some job ideas.
Here’s an extensive post on how to become a freelance writer, which has tips on finding your writing niche and getting clients.
2) Proofreading
Anyone proficient at writing and grammar can work as a proofreader at home. As a professional proofreader, you can get paid to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors in written content. And working as a proofreader allows you to work a flexible schedule and set your own hours.
Online proofreading jobs can often be found by searching online job listings. Or you can seek out your own proofreading work and start your own proofreading business. There are a variety of people and business that could benefit from proofreading services, including:
- Websites and blogs
- Local newspapers
- High school and college students
- Teachers and professors
- Area businesses
I had the opportunity to interview a successful proofreader named Caitlin Pyle who made over $40,000 proofreading PART-TIME early in her career.
She now teaches how to create a profitable proofreading business. Here’s her FREE intro proofreading course that you can try out.
Here’s an interview with one of Caitlin’s students. In this post, she shares her top tips for being successful as a proofreader, what a typical day proofreading is for her, and her thoughts on Caitlin’s proofreading course.
3) Graphic Designer
Working as a graphic designer is another simple way to earn money from home, especially if you already have design experience. Learning how to design is something that takes time, but if you have a few months to learn before baby arrives, it’s totally doable.
Skillshare has a lot of interesting online courses available including graphic design and photography classes (very complementary). There are free courses. There are also premium courses available at a cost. However, you can sign up and get the first 2 months of Skillshare premium for FREE.
Either way, once you have the design skills under your belt, you can offer your services online and work from home.
To find work from home graphic design jobs, search the web for online openings in established firms. Or start your own online business offering your design services to:
- Local businesses: Help local businesses design their marketing material while working from home.
- Websites: Create digital designs for websites and blogs using your graphic design skills.
- Nonprofits and churches: Provide graphic design services to organizations in your community to earn money at home.
You could also sell your designs on Redbubble – an online marketplace selling designs on various products.
How it works is:
- Designers start a shop and upload their designs (which is all free to do)
- Customers find a design on a product they want (the design can go on a shirt, pillow case, phone case etc.)
- Redbubble prints and ships it
- Designers get paid a 10-20% royalty
Redbubble handles all of the customer service (including complaints and returns) and marketing.
4) Virtual Assistant
Helping business owners with their daily workload as a virtual assistant is a great way to work from home as a mom. And since there are a variety of different ways you can work as a virtual assistant, this stay at home job for moms is a wonderful option for just about anyone.
The type of virtual assistant you decide to be will depend on your experience and skillset.
Virtual assistant jobs vary greatly, which means you’re sure to be able to find one or two job ideas that work for you. As a virtual assistant you could:
- Perform daily office tasks for business owners and executives, like answering emails, setting appointments, and transcribing meeting notes
- Provide social media assistance for businesses and websites, like posting on social media networks and replying to comments
- Offer writing and content services to websites and businesses, like content writing, written website copy, and proofreading services
- Assist businesses with marketing tasks, like designing advertisements and writing ad copy
- Answer phone calls and webchats for businesses while working from home
Here’s a list of 275+ services you can offer as a Virtual Assistant.
Finding virtual assistant positions online is fairly easy!
You could search for businesses looking for virtual assistants on websites like Flexjobs.com or offer your services through online platforms like Upwork.com. You could even reach out to local businesses to see if they need your assistance with any of the tasks listed above.
If you’re interested in this career, Gina Horkey is an expert and talks about everything you need to know to become a VA here.
Gina’s a mom to 2 kids. In 2014, she started a side career as a virtual assistant. Within 4 months, she was making $4000/month from it while working a full-time job and raising 2 toddlers.
Here’s my interview with Gina where she discloses how she made up to $100/hour as a virtual assistant.
Due to Gina’s success, she started teaching others her secrets to starting a successful virtual assistant business. I’ve interviewed one of Gina’s students from her 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success course here. In this interview, her student talks about how long it took her to get her first client and other virtual assistant start-up tips.
Related Notes:
- If you love Pinterest, you can also be a Pinterest Virtual Assistant. Check out my interviews with successful Pinterest VAs Megan Haskin and Yi Ming Lai.
- If you love Real Estate, check out how to be a Real Estate Virtual Assistant.
5) Teach Engilsh Online
If you have a Bachelor’s Degree and have a Teaching license or English teaching certificate (TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, ESL), you could qualify to teach English to kids in China online.
Companies like Qkids allow moms to work from home while teaching Chinese children English through video chat.
And since there is such a vast time difference between the US or Canada and China, you’ll be able to work while your kids are asleep – early in the morning or late in the evening.
Qkids pays $16-20 USD/hour as an English Tutor.
Qkids connects tutors with 4-12 year old students in China. There’s no minimum time commitment you have to work per week. It’s a preset curriculum so there’s no lesson planning required. Qkids is an interactive platform with games and characters.
You can apply to work as a Qkids teacher here.
Here’s an interview with 3 Qkids teachers who talk about their typical day, biggest challenge, and top tips for being successful in the Qkids interview process. One of them is a stay at home mom who also homeschools her kids and this schedule is ideal for her.
If you’re proficient in other areas outside of English, you could also consider tutoring kids online. You’ll be able to set your own schedule and signup your own clients, allowing you the flexibility to be with your kids and earn money, too.
6) Bookkeeper
Are you good with finances or great at math? Why not become an at-home bookkeeper?
If you have financial experience, working from home as a bookkeeper is a great way to stay at home with your kids while still having a great career. But even if you don’t have experience as a bookkeeper, you can still start working from home on this career path with a little bit of training.
Bookkeepers record financial transactions and perform quality control on a company’s financial statements. And all that work can be done from the comfort of your home. To work as a bookkeeper at home, you can search for businesses looking for remote accountants. Or start marketing yourself to businesses to book clients.
Ben Robinson created a virtual bookkeeping business and made $60+/hour. You can learn more about his story in my interview with him.
Ben now teaches people how to be bookkeepers from home. Here’s his FREE bookkeeper training.
I had the opportunity to speak with 2 of his students who are running profitable online bookkeeping businesses – one of which is a stay at home mom. Being an online bookkeeper gives her the flexibility of working around her kid’s schedule. She makes a good living while still being able to do drop off/pickup and doesn’t miss important school or sports events.
7) In-Home Childcare
Do you love working with children?
Starting a daycare in your home is a great way to stat at home with your kids while also earning money.
You can welcome additional children into your home each day while their parents work, allowing you to enjoy time with your kids and letting them have some fun playing with friends.
Starting an in-home daycare will take a little bit of research before you can get started. Before you can start taking care of children in your home, you’ll need to check:
- State/province and local regulations regarding childcare sites, including permit requirements
- Home insurance upgrades to cover you in case of an accident
Once you have the legal requirements taken care of, you can start marketing your at-home daycare to the community.
Reach out to friends and family to let them know that you’re open to taking care of their children while they work. Or advertise your services on sites like Care.com to attract new clients to your at-home business.
8) Customer Service
Assisting a business’ customers over the phone or online is another simple way to start earning money from home.
Customer service positions typically involve providing customers with product or service assistance either over the phone or through web chat. A variety of large corporations hire work-from-home customer service representatives, including Apple and Amazon.
Since this type of job will require you to work set hours and possibly be on the phone, it’s great for moms who have kids in school during the day or someone to help with the kids while you’re working. You can set up your schedule so you work while your kids are at school or during the night while your children are sleeping.
Customer service jobs can be found in a variety of locations. Check some of your favorite company’s websites to see if they’re hiring at-home representatives. Or visit online job listing sites, like Indeed, to search for remote openings in the customer service field.
9) Blogging
While starting a blog does require an upfront investment of time and money, it is a great way to work from home when you have kids. You can set your own hours and decide how much time you want to devote to your website. There are a few different ways bloggers earn an income from their website, including:
- Display advertising: placing ads on your website allows you to earn money when website visitors view or click on the ads
- Affiliate advertising: placing links on your blog recommending products allows you to earn money when your visitors click on those links and make a purchase using your referral code
- Sponsorships: writing posts on your blog or social media channels recommending a product or service and receiving compensation for those posts
Although there are a variety of ways to earn money with a blog, earning a living by blogging does take time and effort. Which means you may not start earning an income right away.
Blogging has a low start-up cost. You can get Siteground web hosting for a WordPress site for as low as $3.95/month. If you’re not tech-savvy and have no experience blogging like I was initially, there will be a learning curve.
If you’re interested in learning how to start a blog, I’ve shared my strategies and steps for starting a blog here
So, while I recommend blogging as a great option for stay at home jobs for moms, it’s probably best to work on your blog while also earning another source of income.
Related articles:
- The affiliate programs I got approved for and rejected from as a new blogger
- How I made my first affiliate sale from a blog
10) Etsy Shop Seller
You might think that the people starting an Etsy Shop are just doing it as a hobby, but there is serious money being made on this platform.
I’ve read success story after success story. When I met a mom in my town who was able to make a full-time living off Etsy, I had to interview her for this website!
Her story is inspiring! 4 months after opening up her Etsy Shop, she was able to quit her job! She was on maternity leave and was determined not to go back to work and she did it. She makes between $1500-3000/week! Yes – you read that right. She’s making $78,000-156,000/year!
And she only works 3 days a week! This mom spends the other 4 days hanging with her daughter. That’s the dream!
You can read her story here.
I’ve also done an interview with a mom who sells printables on Etsy.
What’s great about printables is that they’re digital downloads. Once a customer places an order, Etsy automatically sends them the product.
Once she’s created the printable and uploaded it, there’s very little work to do afterwards. It’s basically passive income, which is ideal if you’re a mom and have little time!
If you’re looking for ideas about what to sell on Etsy:
Related: I had the pleasure of taking a course called Gold City Ventures E Printables, which shows you how to create an Etsy store specifically for printables and digital downloads. I share an insider’s perspective on the Gold City Ventures course here. In this post, there’s also an interview with another Gold City Ventures student who shares her tips and tricks on how to sell printables on Etsy.
11) Pet Sitter
If you love pets, dog walking or pet sitting is a flexible job for stay at home moms.
While you can advertise your services on a community website like Kijiji, Rover has been specifically designed to connect pet sitters with pet owners. Millions of pet sitter services have been booked through this platform. It’s in 34,000+ cities.
The big advantage of going with Rover is not only getting access to clients, but having the “Rover Guarantee”. This is insurance coverage for certain injuries or damages occurring during the visit.
They also provide a 24/7 vet assistance support team.
Most importantly, you have the flexibility of setting your own schedule, pricing and pet preferences to work around your family’s lifestyle.
Here’s an interview with a mom who’s a Rover Pet Sitter. It details her experience with Rover and tips to get started.
If you’re interested in becoming a Rover pet sitter or dog walker, you can sign up to become one here.
12) Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Product Seller
While on maternity leave, I met many moms who were selling products from MLM companies. Think of any product and there’s an MLM in existence.
To be honest, when I first heard about MLMs, the first thought I had was how there’s still this negative connotation with MLMs being pyramid schemes.
The other day, I heard an MLM mom saying “But what do you think any company’s structure is? It’s a pyramid.”
When you do research, you realize that pyramid schemes are often illegal. The difference is that a pyramid scheme primarily makes money from member recruitment and MLMs make money from the actual products and services.
An MLM is just like any other well-known company marketing products and services. Their marketing methods are just usually through sales consultants.
If you’re interested in MLMs, the first thing you should do is ensure that the MLM is legitimate. Do thorough research!
Secondly, find a product you love. If the start-up cost and monthly quota are low, you’ll better manage your profitability.
I’ve met MLM moms who struggle to meet their monthly quotas. There are also moms that are making an excellent living. Some of the richest women in the country are involved in MLMs.
Some of these successful people have blogs so they don’t even have to host parties and ask their friends and family to try the product. They just post it on their blog. They have a wider reach because they’re online. Selling a product and being a blogger = good pairing!
If you have a passion for jewelry, purses, accessories and leggings, Stella & Dot is one such MLM for fashion and design enthusiasts. Some people join as a Stylist because they want to make money from home. Others join because they want the discount for themselves.
As a Stylist, you earn between 25-35% sales commission depending on how much you sell in a single month. If you recruit others to become Stylists, you earn a % of their sales.
If you’re purchasing for yourself, you can earn between 25-50% discount on the product.
To join as a Stylist, you must purchase a starter kit from the company. The cheapest one is $199, which comes with $350 worth of product. Using your kit products, you can host parties to share the products or sell through your own Stella & Dot website.
Stylists have access to sales and marketing training, coaching from their sponsor, and a network of stylists for advice.
If you’re an independent Stylist with no team beneath you, there’s no sales quota. If you have a team of Stylists, you will need to sell $500/quarter as you’re leading by example.
They have a customer-focused “delight guarantee”. They offer free and easy returns and exchanges if the customer is unhappy with how the product is worn.
I first heard about Stella & Dot from a classmate who shared her recent experience at a friend’s “trunk show”. It’s a casual party where girlfriends get together, explore accessories and get advice from stylists. She was raving about how much she enjoyed it. She’s not a Stella & Dot Stylist.
I was surprised to find out how it works is the Stylist asks a friend to host the “trunk show”. That friend/hostess provides the house, invites their friends, and gets free accessories and 50% off for their efforts. The Stylist brings the samples and lookbook, and gets the commissions on the sales. It’s a win win.
Of course the Stylist can also be the hostess and earn both the free accessories and commissions!
If you’re interested, you can learn more about Stella & Dot here.
Where to Find Work from Home Jobs
With all these great ideas for work from home jobs, I bet you’re ready to start searching for your next job! But knowing all the options available to you and actually finding a job are two very different things.
To find a great work from home job, you have to know where to look. Here are some of my favorite places to find stay at home jobs:
1) Ask your current employer
If you’re currently employed in a position that can be done from home, try negotiating a location change with your employer. List all the benefits the company could realize from allowing you to work from home to make the option appealing to your boss and the company as a whole.
2) Check online job sites
There are a variety of online search engines you can use to find work from home jobs. When searching those online job banks, try typing phrases like “work at home,” “remote,” or “telecommute” to find positions that allow you to work at home. These online job search engines are a great place to start looking for stay at home jobs:
3) Find freelance opportunities
You don’t have to have an hourly job to work from home. Finding freelance opportunities is a great way to earn money while staying at home. And there are a variety of ways to find freelance job opportunities online. You can join Facebook groups that list freelance jobs or create accounts on freelance service sites, like:
4) Create your own job
My favorite way to find stay at home jobs is to simply make the job yourself.
Starting your own at-home business is the best way to ensure you have the flexibility you need to spend time with your family while also working. And the great news is that you can start your own business providing any of the services listed above!
Decide what services you’d like to offer, then start networking by reaching out to business owners who might be interested in the services you offer.
Final Thoughts On The Best Stay At Home Mom Jobs
While we all know that being a stay at home mom can be in itself more than a full-time job, having a way to make an income gives you options. This list of jobs you can do from home have both flexible hours and a fair wage.
If you’re looking to only earn a little bit of money quickly and easily each day, here’s a list of ways to make $100 fast.
Recap Of Legitimate Stay At Home Jobs For Moms
- Freelance Writer
- Proofreader
- Graphic Designer
- Virtual Assistant
- Teach Online
- Bookkeeper
- In-Home Childcare
- Customer Service
- Blogging
- Etsy Shop Seller
- Pet Sitter
- Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Product Seller
Related Work from Home Options for Moms Articles:
- How to become a Virtual Assistant and make up to $100/hour
- How 1 mom made a full-time income in 4 months through Etsy
- How to make passive Income as an Etsy printables shop owner
- Work from Home Jobs for Kids to Make Money Fast
- How to become a Podcast Producer
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