Work from home jobs for moms: tools, tips and jobs

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For over five years, I’ve been working from home. Opportunities for moms are hard to come by and balance with childcare expenses and time. There is a lot of hustle that has to happen every single day for moms working “from home” jobs or mom jobs. I need to make sure things are working in my favor as much as possible and that I have all of the tools I need to successfully work from home. Mom jobs need all these tools and tricks whether for working from home permanently, or working from home a few days at a time.

10 tools you need for at home jobs for moms and dads

1. Computer

Not only do I need a computer, but I really want it with all of the processing speed and RAM I can afford. Because a slow computer is almost as useful as a paperweight. Spend the money to get the most you can at the time so the computer stays with you for a while. Many of the easy work from home jobs for moms I found require having a computer at home.

2. Dual Monitor

I never really understood having two monitors until I did. And, it’s a necessity. When I travel and only have my laptop, I have a hard time managing everything on my screen. Having two monitors is totally a game-changer. I feel more productive and less overwhelmed with two of them.

3. Internet service

Bonus points if it’s good and reliable. I’ve never tried, but I’ve known people that only use their cellular plan, but for me, I need a strong internet service with fast upload and download speeds for my pictures and photoshop files.

4. Work space

A work space is a very loose term. For the longest time, my workspace was the couch with a laptop on my lap. Before that, it was our unused dining room table. Now I have a dedicated desk. It helps because it’s work stuff on the desk instead of having to clean the couch off to watch a movie, or clear a table to eat dinner.

5. Phone

As much as I would prefer to not have a phone on the list, it’s a necessity. Sometimes you have to actually talk to a customer or a business to finish off some work. Yes. You have to talk to people and it’s not scary.

6. Printer

I try to avoid printing contracts or other documents that can be processed electronically. However, if the need arises, being able to print at home to mail something off is a must.

7. Headphones

This is a funny one, right? But, working from home often means there can be distracting sounds….a neighbor mowing their lawn, a car playing loud music nearby or somebody else working from home in the house…so having a way to block out those distracting sounds is important.

8. Office Supplies

Seems intuitive of course, but there were times where I had to make a list of the supplies I needed to have at home but didn’t. Binder clips and a stapler were on my first list. Most of the time, I need a notebook and writing utensils, but don’t under-estimate the power of tape.

9. Cloud / Shareable Storage

I send big files. Most people that work from home have to send files as some point and they might be too big to go via email. So, it’s important to have a service that allows you to save and share large files that people can also download if necessary.

10. WiFi Router

My desk isn’t close to a place with the cable modem can be plugged into the wall. Like across the room. I need to have a reliable and fast WiFi Router to get my internet to my computer and devices. I’ve been through a lot of them, too.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I’m excited to be testing out the new Linksys WRT3200ACM Wi-Fi Router available at Best Buy. The WRT3200ACM MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router is powered by Tri-Stream 160 technology, which doubles the bandwidth on all spatial streams for the fastest dual-band router on the market (This is words from them. To me..it’s fast and powerful and works with all the devices!).

It is a great fit for those who need speed and performance in a router.

The WRT3200ACM also boasts:

• 1.8 GHz CPU for high-powered performance
• MU-MIMO technology for high-speed Wi-Fi to multiple devices at the same time, same speed
• Open-source ready with OpenWrt and DD-WRT® for complete flexibility and customization of functions,
• Upgraded Smart Wi-Fi app to manage and monitor your home Wi-Fi from a mobile device, anytime, anywhere
• 256MB Flash and 512MB of RAM Memory
• 4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports

I really like that it has a easy to access web panel to help set up the wifi password as well as a guest account. How often have you been somewhere and they have no idea what the guest password is? With this router, I can easily set it up.

I can also see the devices connected as well as access parental controls.

So far, I’m having great luck with the WRT3200ACM (don’t you love that name?). It seems like pages are loading faster and the internet is happy with me, which means I can get my work done faster instead of waiting for pages to load.

Moms, work at home jobs aren’t always easy, but here are some tips.

1. Have a Schedule

This is one that I’m working on. I should have a working hours schedule. But, sometimes I have to finish work outside of normal business hours. That’s just the way life works. In a perfect world, I would have office hours and that would be it. There’s always something that we need to work on, right?

2. Set alarms

I need all of the alarms going off or a ball will be dropped. It’s so easy to start working and realize you missed something. I have alarms and reminders going off for all events. I even set alarms for picking up my kids from preschool and getting the older two off the bus.

3. Secure some type of childcare

You likely won’t want or need childcare all of the time (it’s probably why you went searching for the best work from home jobs for moms in the first place). But, having some portion of the week with your children occupied with another adult or mother’s helper increases productivity in a big way. You might want to look into swapping childcare with another working mom in your area, or maybe you hire a baby sitter once a week. There are so many options that you definitely want to find something that works for you.

4. Maintain Focus

Yes. Focus and dedication is huge. Remove the distractions and temptations. Close tabs and really be dedicated to what you need to accomplish daily, or it won’t happen. There are a ton of apps that will block certain websites (I’m looking at you, Facebook) or allow you to set a timer to devote a set amount of time to a task with no distractions. There isn’t a an answer for all jobs for moms at home, so you have to find what works for you.

5. Don’t feel guilty

This is a funny one, right? But, don’t feel guilty about your work at home status. Work hard, under promise and over deliver and impress people. Also, don’t feel guilty if you have to tell one person “no” to tell another “yes,” and the other way around. Sometimes this means a client and sometimes it means your child.

6. Take breaks

Just like working in an office setting, we sometimes get in a grove and forget to take breaks. We need to up and moving and walking around a little bit each hour. This includes lunch. Don’t eat at your desk. Find a different location to eat. Go to the kitchen, head outside, eat in the living room, just take a break from your desk and let your mind get a rest.

Jobs from home for moms

I’ve searched around to try to make a list of some of the best work from home jobs for moms. As with anything, make sure you do your own research. My jobs are: writer, social media influencer and graphic designer. I wear many hats.

1. Childcare

If you are already home with your children, you can see if you can make some extra income watching another child or two. Maybe it’s all day, or maybe it’s the time between when school gets out and mom and dad get home. That’s a bonus because you might have the school hours to secure another work from home job.

2. Tutor

I was able to tutor a high school student in math and science classes when my youngest was tiny. I could fit it in after bed time and even between nursing sessions. Odds are there is a subject or two you loved that you can help another child learn and master. Not only can this be done in person, but you can be an online tutor as well.

3. Running errands

With sites like TaskRabbit.com, you can become a “tasker” for anybody looking for a task. There is quite the range of tasks and skills from data entry to delivering groceries from a shop to a house or business. TaskRabbits get to big for the jobs and then they are paid upon completion.

4. Office or computer work

With sites like Upwork and Fiverr, you can offer your services and/or pick up work when you have time. If you are good at Word or PowerPoint or even Photoshop and Illustrator, you should check out these options.

5. Teaching jobs online

Many schools are going digital and have education classes only online. It can be done on a flexible schedule both part-time or full-time.

6. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is an online personal assistant that is able to help with a wide array of duties. It really depends on what an client asks for. It could be computer and basic office work, or it could be social media engagement, email planning, scheduling, writing newsletters or more. The possibilities really are endless depending on the need.

7. Document Translator

If you are bilingual, you have skill that is in high demand. Of course, you need to speak, read and write in both languages well, but if you can do this, finding a translation job is a great place to look.

Do you work from home?

There are a lot of options for work at home jobs for moms. Most importantly, make sure you research the job and make sure it’s legitimate. You need to know your skills and the job requirements and make sure you are a good match.

Real work from home jobs for moms can be challenging, but also very rewarding. With the right planning, tools and tricks, many moms have built successful careers from home.

What are your tips and ideas for good work from home jobs for moms?