How to Find Jobs for Single Stay at Home Moms

Being a single stay-at-home mom is the hardest job there is. With no partner to help support you and your family, single moms have to find a way to watch and care for their kids while still bringing in the bacon. Although easier now with the advent of the Internet and online job possibilities, balancing work and childcare is still challenging. If you are a single stay-at-home mom and are looking for some career opportunities here are some places to start.

Instructions

1. 

   Think about telemarketing or telecommuting. Many stay-at-home moms find it easy to earn money working for telemarketing companies while the kids are sleeping. You can also apply for jobs scheduling appointments for doctors' offices or taking orders for online catalogs from your own home phone. Your hours can be flexible, allowing you time to care for your children and still work.

2. 

   Put your writing skills to work on a freelance writing website. Sites like eHow.com and Demandstudios.com can offer stay-at-home moms both residual and flat-rate assignments that can be done during nap times or play dates. Bi-lingual writers are also in demand, so check freelance writing websites for opportunities.

3. 

   Take on some additional children. Talk to the other mothers in your neighborhood and offer to watch one or two of their children for pay. Single moms have to stick together and this will not only allow you to make some money, but give another mom time to pursue a career outside the home as well. Be sure your first aide and CPR skills are up to date and include a written contract in your negotiations.

4. 

   Check out legitimate online resources. There are numerous scams out there to entice single stay at home moms to make money online, but most of them are filled with empty promises. Sources like wahm.com (work at home moms.com) take the guess work out of stay-at-home job opportunities and help single moms make good connections.

5. 

   Be an entrepreneur. Take out an ad on Craigslist and offer some services that you do best from your own living room. For example, advertise to load music onto iPods, write thank-you letters for busy brides or use your calligraphy skills to fill out certificates and diplomas. Think about what your best at and how it can work for others.

6. 

   Network with other moms at your kids schools or playgrounds. Perhaps two of you can sell Avon products together, thereby cutting start up costs, or can brainstorm on other creative ways to care for kids and find financial stability while being a stay at home mom. Personal contacts are the best way to find suitable work, so get to know everyone in your neighborhood to increase your chances of finding work that fits your lifestyle.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to schedule some down time for yourself. Working while the kids are sleeping may mean you have little relaxation time for yourself, so be sure to make a conscious effort to treat yourself well for all the hard work you do all day long.

• Know the law. If you decide to watch a few children to help make ends meet be sure you don't need to be a licensed caregiver and that you follow any other babysitting guidelines your community may have posted. Never pay any money to apply for an online job. Legitimate online jobs will not require any financial output from you. Do some research on too-good-to-be true opportunities and never give out personal or credit information without checking for legitimacy first.

Resources

• WAHM.com
• speak-write.com
• westathome.com
• workingsol.com