Work at Home Mom Struggles

I’m often asked what life is like as a mommy blogger at home with two girls. Some days are a blur of dirty diapers, sippy cups and snacks, and half written blog posts. Others are successful because the girls are clean, fed, and happy by bedtime and my blog post was turned in on time. Are you wondering how I balance blogging and motherhood? The truth is: I have no idea. Read on for answers to the questions I’m asked most about being a WAHMB (work at home mom blogger).

How did you become a WAHM?

I left my job as an elementary school teacher at the end of the 2015-2016 year while pregnant with Ailey. We knew financially it made sense for me to be a stay home Mom than to put both girls in daycare. After settling into my role as Mom of two and our family making the big decision to move to New England, I had to turn my blog into something more than a hobby. Over the last year, with my hard work and dedication to blogging, Confessions of a Northern Belle has become a source of income. My role as SAHM turned to WAHM sort of overnight – which is AMAZING, but insane all at the same time.

Sacrifices have been made to be able to stay at home with my daughters. I don’t go shopping, I don’t get my nails done regularly, I don’t have a gym membership, and I rarely have a moment to myself. Spending my money and time on my daughters and the blog that I love is worth my pedicure-less toes and lack of a fall wardrobe.

How do you blog with your children around?

Working at home with two little energetic beauties running circles between my legs and fighting like cats and dogs is exhausting.  The distractions are endless! I raise my voice way too much and sometimes hand out more Time Outs than I’d like to admit. It’s beyond difficult to write a mistake-free sponsored post, formulate meaningful thoughts for a personal post, or take a staged photo of a product without at least 15 interruptions.

Somehow I almost always manage to get my stuff done by the end of the day. Since college, I’ve worked well under a time crunch and sometimes produce my best work when I’m tiptoeing on a deadline. I have a love/hate relationship with myself for usually waiting until the last minute but it’s how I work and hard to change my ways. Knowing there is an audience who enjoys reading my blog content and brands that want to work with me are driving forces to complete my To Do list.

Why do you ever complain? You have the EASIEST job.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard how lucky I am to be able to stay home with my daughters and work as a blogger. I am lucky, but guess what? My “job” isn’t easy – blogging isn’t a salary job. Blogging can be thankless, lonely, and empty. I am never recognized or rewarded for my hard work by a superior. I am my own boss and I can only tell myself, “Good job Caitlin!” so many times. I also don’t receive free products on my doorstep for doing nothing and I email more brands than I actually work with. Just because I can wear my pajamas all day doesn’t mean I’m relaxed. On the average day, I’m so stressed out I forget to eat.

Work at Home Mom, Stay at Home Mom, Work in an Office Mom – whatever kind of Mom you are is HARD WORK and commendable. 

Do you pay attention to your children?

Honestly – there were a few months in the last year where my children took a backseat to my blog and social media. I was so caught up in trying to grow that I forgot my number one job is to be a MOM. I started carving out time in the day for my blog while the girls were distracted or asleep, but there are still moments when I tell them to, “HUSH” while I finish answering an email or editing a photo. I’m not perfect, and I wish I paid more attention to them on certain days, but blogging is a business that requires a lot of hustling if you want to make money.

Finding a work life/mom life balance is difficult, but there are no secrets to doing it all. If my house is semi-clean, the girls are happily fed, and I remember a deadline, I call that a successful day.