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Work-at-Home Moms: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Work at Home Jobs
Companies that hire for work at home jobs are not always easy to locate. When looking for work at home jobs, start by finding company that is currently hiring in your field by using this alphabetical directory of companies that have work at home jobs. More and more companies, in industries as diverse as health care, writing and IT, are turning to work at home employees or independent contractors to perform duties that were once done in-house.
Picnics
Picnics are easy (really!) and free, yet provide that "wow" factor for kids. My philosophy is you've got to eat anyway, why not make it a picnic? Picnics get overlooked as free summer fun because they are often relegated to weekends, which are often too busy to fit in this kind of relaxing family fun. I like picnics on the long summer weekdays when I'm working and the kids are home. If it's not too hot, we may take a break at lunch, but dinner picnics give them something to look forward.
Google Work-at-Home Ads
Google Ads, promoting work-at-home opportunities, appear on most pages of this website. Many of these ads are not offering legitimate opportunities.
Work at Home Call Center Jobs
Virtual call center jobs are good opportunity for those seeking to work from home. This list of companies hiring for home call center jobs is a good place to start for work at home moms who want to set themselves up as work from home call center agents.
Work-at-Home Nursing Jobs
At first glance, nursing seems like hands-on profession not adaptable to telecommuting. But nursing can take many forms including working as a telecommuting nurse doing telephone triage or as a case manager. This is a list of insurance companies and other health care companies hire nurses to work from home.
What's a Legitimate WAHM Job
When getting started working from home, figuring out which are legitimate work at home jobs, and which are work at home scams can be tough. But as you cull through the many Internet job postings and ads, a pattern of deception becomes clear and so spotting the legitimate work at home job becomes easier.
Virtual Call Center Agent
Virtual call centers are work at home jobs in which people work for companies that either utilize their services themselves or contract to provide telephone support services for others. Find out more about the salary, skills and education required for virtual call center jobs.
Humana
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Fortune 500 health insurance company Humana Inc. hires for several types of telecommuting positions.
Work at Home Careers
When trying to make the shift from the office to a work at home job, the first place to look is at your current career. Assess your skills, professional experience and current position. Are they transferable to a work at home environment? Whether you want to be a telecommuter or independent contractor, these jobs lend themselves well to a work at home career.
UnitedHealthcare
Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, health insurance company UnitedHealthcare Group is a Fortune 500 company that offers telecommuting positions in nursing and other fields. More than 20 percent of this large health insurance company's employees take advantage of its telecommuting opportunities.
Spot a Work-at-Home Scam
The first rule in spotting work at home scams is keeping in mind that old adage: If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. When you find a work-at-home opportunity either through an email, a website, print publication, TV or even from a friend, check it out carefully to be sure it is not really a work-at-home scam.
Medical Transcription Jobs
Medical transcription is a career that can easily be done from home. Companies hiring medical transcriptionists to work from home usually require experience and/or certification. However, some will hire medical transcriptions who have completed a certification program but do not yet have experience.
Work at Home Call Center FAQ
To find a home call center job (aka virtual call centers), start by researching potential companies carefully. Though there are many legitimate companies hiring work at home call center agents, call center jobs (as well as data entry jobs) are often used at the bait in work at home scams. Most home call center jobs require an investment in home office equipment, and some do charge fees. So before you spend any money to get set up as a work at home call center agent, ask some questions.
Virtual Call Center Office
A virtual call center is a call center based in someone's home. To become a virtual call center agent, you will need a home office that meets certain requirements, which vary from company to company. As a general guide, these are some of the technical requirements for a virtual call center.
Telephone Triage
Definition of telephone triage, a job performed by nurses sometimes known as telehealth.
Everyday Summer Activities
Summer activities for kids while you're working from home need to be something kids can do on their own and have fun. Because if their not having fun, who do they turn to? These summer activities keep kids busy while mom works.
McKesson
Headquartered in San Francisco, health care giant McKesson is a Fortune 500 company (#15 in 2009) employing more than 32,000 people.
Free Summer Fun
Free summer fun doesn't have to be anything too elaborate. Let's face it, if it's free summer fun, it's pretty unlikely to be elaborate. What puts the "fun" in these free summer fun ideas is the parent participation. Work-at-home moms need
Work at Home Moms Basics
So you want to join the ranks of work at home moms. But you wonder: Aren't so many of the jobs for work at home moms scams? Where do I find work at home moms' jobs that pay well? All valid questions. As work at home moms know, it's tough to go from working outside the home to a home-based job. Look here for a step-by-step plan for work at home moms who just getting started.
Writing Jobs
Writing is an extremely versatile profession. Writing jobs run the gamut from freelancing for consumer magazines to self-publishing on the Internet. Typically work-at-home writers and editors work as freelancers. However, some companies do hire telecommuting employees for writing jobs.
Independent Play Activities
Independent play is an important skill for all kids, but children of work at home moms, in particular, should know some independent play activities. This list of independent play activities for children includes reading, games, art projects and napping, among others. Parents may need to get kids started on these activities but kids will enjoy them on their own.
Fonemed
Formed in 1996, Fonemed provides telephone triage services to physician practices, managed-care organizations, third party administrators, disease management providers, private employers and associations throughout North America.
Cut Your Monthly Budget
Cutting your monthly budget expenses is the way to maximize savings for your household. Saving money on those monthly household expenses means that your savings recur every month and thus maximize your savings. Cut your monthly budget with these 10 tips.
Traits for Work at Home Moms
While the benefits of being a work at home mom are many, it is not for everyone. You need a certain set of personality traits to navigate the pitfalls of a being a work at home mom. And while it is not necessary to have every single personality trait when you start, you'll need to work on developing them to be a successful work at home mom.
Work at Home Job Scams
Work-at-home scams typically fall under several variations on a few themes. Some are pure cons while others are simply poor money-making opportunities. This list of possible work-at-home scams outlines both types. Because the details are always changing, it is important to learn the telltale signs of a work-at-home scam.
School Supplies
When back to school time rolls round and you start shopping for school supplies, does it feel like you just open your wallet and hemorrhage money? It does to me. The lists of school supplies kids bring home seem to get longer every year. But over the years, I've developed a few tricks for saving money on school supplies.
Picnic Baskets
Picnic baskets have a romantic appeal, but that doesn't mean picnic baskets aren't practical for families. You just have to find the right picnic set, which might be a picnic backpack or a traditional picnic hamper Little wicker picnic baskets are darling but completely impractical for a family picnic. But picnic baskets have come a long way in recent years.
Work-at-Home Moms & Child Care
Do work at home Moms need to hire child care? For most work at home moms, the answer is “yes,” to child care or at least part time child care help. But how much and what type of child care you need varies.
FlexJobs.com
FlexJobs.com promises scam-free, personally reviewed telecommuting job leads, and it delivers. But whether there are enough to justify the fee would depend on your line of work and desire to find a telecommuting job.
WAHM Calendars
When work and home are in the same place, a combined calendar makes sense. Some moms my prefer a personal organizer while other just use the family calendar.
Make Extra Money
Making extra money by working at home doesn't always happen as fast as we wish. Getting started as a work at-home mom, which might mean starting a home business or finding a telecommuting job, is often a long process. But sometimes we need to make extra money fast in order to jumpstart those efforts.
Telecommuter or Contractor?
Work-at-home moms could be telecommuting employees or independent contractors. Each has it's own benefits and drawbacks. But the differences between the two can effect child care arrangements.
Packing a Picnic Basket
It can seem daunting to pack up all the stuff you need for a picnic, especially with little kids, all for just for one meal. But if you have a picnic bag or basket ready with all the non-food items, that will speed your way. Keep these picnic things in a backpack, canvas bag or basket.
Books That Keep Kids Busy
These wordless or almost wordless picture books will keep work-at-home moms' kids--ranging from non-readers to voracious readers--engrossed. They use vivid illustrations that cleverly tell stories or engage the mind. When you're not working, you'll enjoy them too. And when you are, you can add them to your child's repertoire of independent play activities.
Rules for WAHMS
Setting work rules for your family (and yourself) is the key to success for any work-at-home mom. While every family's specific ground rules may differ, these are some decisions that work-at-home moms must make, as they develop a set of working rules.
Restaurant Coupons
Restaurant coupons from Restaurant.com are a legitimate way to save money when dining out. Find out more about how to use and what the restrictions are for these restaurant coupons.
Inbound Call Center
An inbound call center is a call center where telephone agents field only incoming phone calls for a company or organization. Inbound call center agents often provide customer service to callers but can sell products and services. An inbound call center may be a traditional call center or a virtual call center.
Rewards of Working at Home
While work-at-home moms’ career paths, home office setups, and childcare arrangements may vary greatly, the reasons they choose to work at home are more consistent. This article lays out the pros of being a work-at-home parent. For the cons, see 6 Possible Drawbacks to Working at Home.
Who Works at Home?
Today, the many types of jobs for work-at-home moms reflect the diversity of careers now available to women. Take a look at these real-life examples of parents who support their families while working from home.
Outbound Call Center
An outbound call center is a call center where telephone agents or telemarketers only make outgoing phone calls for a company or organization. Outbound call center agents typically are selling products and services or making appointments. An outbound call center may be a traditional call center or a virtual call center.
Back to School Time
The media with its hype of back-to-school sales, back-to-school supplies and back-to-school clothes might have us believe that "back to school" is code for "buy more stuff." In fact, the back-to-school transition is about organizing ourselves and families for a successful school year. Getting organized before heading back-to-school does not guarantee academic success and family harmony, but it helps.
Work-at-Home Moms Goals
At year's end, work-at-home moms (and everyone else) think about setting New Year's resolutions. Though a new year is an ideal time for WAHMs to review professional and personal goals, we can do it all year round. In fact, in order to achieve success with New Year resolutions, we must keep these goals in mind all year. While everyone must personalize their own set of resolutions, here are a few goals those working from home may want to consider.
Kids' CD Players
In the world of iPods and MP3 players, kids CD players seem almost as quaint as a cassette player or even a turntable, but they still have a lot of uses for kids. A kids CD player can be a valuable tool for work at home moms.
Child Care Porviders
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean deciding which of the many child care providers are available to you is easy. In fact, work at home moms have additional issues to consider when choosing child care providers.
Epson WorkForce 600
For most work-at-home moms, an all-in-one printer/scanner/fax is a useful tool for both the home and family offices, and the Epson WorkForce 600 is an excellent choice.
Keeping Clean
Keeping a clean house can be tough, if you don't want to spend your work day cleaning. For work at home moms the fact that you and the kids are home all day means that the house naturally gets messier than when you're gone. Keep the clutter under control by stopping briefly to clean up as you work.
Independent Contractor
The term independent contractor has specific tax implications with the IRS.
Telecommute
Telecommute simply means to work from a remote location, usually a home office, by electronically linking to a company. For many, telecommute implies employment. More on the definition of telecommute
Home Office Expense Deduction
When considering taking a home office expense deduction, remember that there are two types of deductible home office expenses relating to the use of part of you home: direct and indirect expenses.
Call Center
A traditional call center is a central location where telephone agents, or operators, make outgoing calls or field incoming phone calls for a company or organization.
Call Centers
Call centers are places where call center agents field incoming calls and/and or make outgoing calls to customers and sales leads. But there are several types of call centers. More on the types of call centers:
Summer Camp FAQ
Deciding on summer camp is not easy. First there's whether to send your child to camp. Is your child ready for camp? Can you afford it? Then there's what kind of summer camp (day camp, overnight camp, specialty camp, nature camp?) and where to send them. This summer camp FAQ can help you sort out these and other summer camp questions.
Planning a Business Trip
When any working parent takes a business trip, it takes a lot of preparation both at home and work to make the business trip go smoothly. However, work at home moms, who often don’t have regular child care in place (unlike moms in the traditional workplace), have special challenges when planning a business trip.
Cons of Working at Home
OK, now that you've read the 8 Reasons to Be a Work-at-Home Mom you're all ready to give up the rat race (or maybe join it if you’ve been a stay-at-home mom). But here are a few other issues to mull. Not everyone will find all of these to actually be problems; it depends on your career, personality and family. But recognizing potential drawbacks allows you to address them more easily.
TeleCommuting Jobs
Low-cost subscription service job board TeleCommuting Jobs mostly offers telecommuting job leads that could be found elsewhere for free. But the convenience of finding telecommuting leads in one place and the filtering out of work at home scams along with the low price make it a worthwhile expense for those starting out in the telecommuting job hunt.
Free Child Care Kid Swap
For work at home moms that work part-time, it often doesn't make financial sense to hire child care. Yet sometimes you need a little alone time. So wouldn't it be great to find free child care? Free child care is not as impossible as it sounds. Talk to other like-minded work-at-home and stay-at-home moms about a kid swap.
Free Child Care
I bet you're skeptical of the idea of free child care. If you get what you pay for, then child care is something you'll want to pay for. But I'm not suggesting free child care from just anyone. In fact, just the opposite. You can find free child care by tapping into resources in your community and social network. Look to trusted friends and family and through services you already pay for.
Save Time, Money on Groceries
Saving both money and time is a neat trick that most of us wish we could do everywhere -- not just the grocery store. So often the two have an inverse relationship. Saving money takes time; saving time costs money. But with some practice you can save time and money at the grocery store. Yes, at first some of these money saving tips will take extra time, but eventually they will save both time and money.
Organize Kids' Art Supplies
Organize kids' art supplies into an art room or art space for your child, so he can work on art projects on his own without interrupting to ask where the art supplies are
Building Savings
Building savings is an important financial goal for many people today. Often when we think about saving money, though, the first thing that comes to mind is cutting back. And while that is an important element in building savings, the way to actually have more money to put in your savings account is twofold: reduce expenses and increase income.
Kids Audio Books
Kids' audio books are for more than just long car trips! For work-at-home moms, in particular, kids' audio books are a great independent activity for children while mom is at work. They can keep a child quietly engaged for hours, but more important than that, kids' audio books boost a multitude of developmental skills. And they are good for nearly all ages.
1099-MISC Form
Important information about IRS Form 1099-MISC, including when you should receive it, plus links to download a 1099 - MISC.
Deciding on Summer Camp
For some families, summer camp is an almost automatic rite of summer. When school ends, summer camp begins. Families with two parents working outside the home that need child care to cover the summer months often find that summer camp fits the bill. But work work at home moms deciding if summer camp is the right choice can be tougher.
Summer Camps
Find a good selection of summer camps in your area can be tough. These local listings of summer camps in states across the U.S. are a good place to start. These include both day camps and overnight summer camps.
Join a Gym
Part time, work at home moms who have young children but don't have outside child care, should consider a membership to a health club that has a child care facility. If you have a laptop, bring it along and sit in the lobby after your workout.
Make Lists for Everything
When a work at home mom makes lists for both home and work related tasks, this time management technique helps bring better organization to her day.
Let the Kids Help
Work at home moms can use all the help you can get, right? So let the kids help out with your work at home job or business wherever possible.
Home Office Deduction Rules
Look over the IRS home office deduction rules carefully to determine if you qualify for a home office deduction on your federal income taxes carefully. Review the IRS rules for taking a home office. Not everyone who works from home will qualify to deduct expenses from the use of their home.
School Uniforms
One bit of back-to-school shopping you don't want to leave until the last minute is school uniforms. If your kids don't wear school uniforms, you're fine waiting until the last minute to pick up school clothes. But school uniforms are a different story.
Work at Home Mom Gift Guide
When it comes to gifts, work-at-home moms are in some ways very like most other moms. We come in many varieties: the practical mom, the busy mom, the mom in need in need of a little indulgence or maybe a combination of all three. But when it comes to shopping for a gift for a WAHM there are few things to keep in mind.
Children's Toys in the Office
Have a stash of your children's toys in your home office office. While some work at home moms don't allow kids in the home office, if you do, make the kids welcome. And if you don't it's good to have a few special children's toys for exceptions.
Setting TV Time Rules
Setting TV time rules for your children as part of a larger set of work-at-home ground rules benefits both you and your child. And though kids would probably prefer no limits to their TV time, restricting their TV viewing gives them more opportunity to play independently and engage in a larger variety of activities.
WAHM Entertainment Gift Guide
We work-at-home moms spend a lot of time at home, so anything that gets us out, especially for a little fun, is a good idea. Consider gift certificates for movies, spas, concerts, sporting events and restaurants.
Work-at-Home Moms Volunteer
Moms are so often called on to volunteer their time, whether at school, religious and community organizations and other non-profits. And depending on their careers, work-at-home moms may be able to volunteer time more freely than those working in offices.
Telecommuters' Deductions
If you telecommute, it may seem that you should automatically qualify for a home office deduction on your income taxes. However, the IRS requirements for deducting your home office expenses vary depending on whether you are a telecommuting employee or a self-employed business owner.
Save Money Food Shopping
One tip for saving money food shopping is to shop other places besides your local supermarket. Though supermarkets are convenient for food shopping and have large selection, you don't always save money by food shopping at a supermarket. Try food shopping at other places such as wholesalers and farmers markets.
Make a Daily Plan
Work at home moms should begin each day by making a daily plan. This is part of a larger time management plan for a WAHM.
Use a Kitchen Timer
Work at home moms should remember that waiting is never easy for kids. But when kids know there will be an end to their wait, they are better at it.
Work-at-Home Travel Bag
Work at home moms need to be prepared to do some work outside the home. To be ready on short notice prepare a bag of work-related supplies in advance. Keep the bag in your office so you can add to it.
Plan for School Snow Days
Just because you're a work at home mom doesn't mean school snow days and delays are simple. The key to dealing with weather emergencies is long- and short-term planning, i.e. have a snow day strategy.
Saving Money on Car Insurance
For work at home moms, one of the great benefits of leaving the office is quitting your commute. So if you've given up the commute be sure your aren't still paying car insurance as if you haven't?
IRS Form 2106
IRS Form 2106 is used to calculate unreimbursed business expenses for employees. These are then deducted on Schedule A.
Rotating Toys
As a work at home mom, you need to keep your children busy. Rotating toys out of the toybox and out of sight will make them more interesting to a child when they return to the playroom floor.
Set Working Hours in Advance
When you work in an office, going home is the signal that your work day is over. Work at home moms don't have that same signal. So when you work from home, set your work hours in advance.
The Art of Multitasking
Multitasking is a way of life for many work at home moms. In fact the term work at home mom implies multitasking. Many WAHMs don't employ outside childcare and still work while caring for children--two very demanding tasks. But even WAHMs whose children are in the care of others can find themselves multitasking. Work at home moms must perfect the art of multitasking as well as develop the wisdom to know when to employ it.
Working During Nap Time
Of course work at home moms will want to work during nap time for their their children. It would be silly to waste the long stretch of quiet a nap can bring and to never take advantage of naptime to get some work accomplished. But there are some drawbacks tow working while your child is sleeping.
How Much TV Viewing
When it comes to TV viewing, every parent wonders: How much is too much TV? Left to their own devices, many kids will make TV viewing their sole vocation. TV viewing should be only one (sparingly used) method to keep kids busy while working from home
Telecommuting Jobs
These blogs each assess a resource for finding telecommuting jobs. Some are linked to full reviews, while others just give the highlights of a job resource that would be useful to those looking for a telecommuting jobs.
Audio Books
The kids’ activities in this series of profiles, such as listening to kids' audio books, need little adult help but are fun for kids. For a wide age range, these kids’ activities promote independence and teach kids to find their own fun...something a work-at-home mom appreciates. Listening to audio books promotes a love of literature while it keeps kids engages for hours.
Find a Telecommute Job Online
When searching for a job online, it's important to search efficiently and effectively. There is no single, best place to look for a work-at-home job online, so you will often end up search in many places. And, unfortunately, many websites that list jobs online use different keywords to tag the jobs that can be done from home. One company's database may tag all the work-at-home jobs with "telecommute" while another with "remote."
Home Office Deduction FAQ
Taking a home office deduction on your taxes is never simple. Frequently asked questions FAQ include: If I work from home, do I automatically qualify for a home office deduction? How do I qualify for a home office deduction on my income taxes? Do I meet the IRS requirements for a home office deduction? What are the pros and cons of taking a home office deduction? What is a deductible home office expense? What form do I use for a home office deduction?
WAHM Definition
What does WAHM stand for? Find out the definition for WAHM as well as find more resources for being a WAHM.
Working From Home Saves Money
While working from home is not without start up costs, many of those costs can be defrayed by the savings that working from home brings. So if you're thinking about switching from the office life to telecommuting, here are some areas where you can save a little of the green stuff.
Shut Down Your Computer
At the end of each working day, turn off you computer. Not only will you save money on electricity, you will be far less tempted to work during the time you've set aside for family.
Home Office Deduction or Not?
If you work from home and you meet the requirements to take a home office deduction, it might seem like a no-brainer to take the deduction on your federal income taxes. But be careful. A home office deduction is not always in everyone's best interest. It can trigger an IRS audit.
IRS Form 8829
IRS Form 8829 Expenses for Business Use of Your Home is used to calculate expenses for business use of your home, i.e. home office tax deduction, for independent contractors filing a Schedule C. This form is not used to deduct office equipment or furniture, but only to calculate the deduction for use of your home.
Reading
The kids’ activities in this series of profiles, such as reading books, magazines and news, need little adult help but are fun for kids. For a wide age range, these kids’ activities promote independence and teach kids to find their own fun...something a work-at-home mom appreciates. Reading encompasses a lot more than just books. Kids can read magazines, comic books newspapers and websites. Reading while you work is an activity that should be about engaging the mind more than decoding the words.
Working During Naps
Work-at-home moms, work at home moms, wahm, wahms, work during naptime, limits, naps child, children kid, kids naps, napping, sleeping, daytime,
WAHMs in the Kitchen
Let's face it. In most families, moms of all stripes--working, work-at-home or stay-at-home--do much of the kitchen work. However, how a mom cooks is definitely affected by her home/work situation and so is her kitchen.
Keeping a Journal
The kids’ activities in this series of profiles, such as keeping a Journal, need little adult help but are fun for kids. For a wide age range, these kids’ activities promote independence and teach kids to find their own fun...something a work-at-home mom appreciates. Kids can learn to organize their thoughts by writing in a journal. Younger kids can supplement their words with pictures.
Bid Site
Using a bid site is one method for a freelancer to find freelance jobs. Bid sites are basically online auctions for services.
4 Ways to Save for Holidays
Here are four strategies to save for the Christmas holidays and avoid holiday debt. Obviously the farther away the holiday season, the more you'll save. But if Christmas is already close at hand, don't let that stop you. Every little bit helps, and it's never too late to start saving.
Things to Do on a Snow Day
Making school snow day contingency plans is extra work for parents, but kids love snow days! When school is cancelled, parents need to make child care arrangement and also think up some fun snow day activites. Snow days can be an opportunity to build lasting memories with your kids.
Work-at-Home Moms - Articles
An index of articles for the Work-at-Home Moms guide site.
Going to School Events
All working parents -- work at home or not -- are invited to daytime school events like field trips and class parties throughout the year, and deciding when to attend and when to decline school events can be tough.
Call centre
A traditional call centre is a central location where telephone agents, or operators, make outgoing calls or field incoming phone calls for a company or organization.
Turn Nap Time into Quiet Time
Nap time can be so productive for work at home moms. But one of the problems of working during naptime is that sometimes kids don’t nap.
Work-at-Home Moms - QuickTips
An index of QuickTips for the Work-at-Home Moms guide site.
Thrifty Thursday
Save money on Thrifty Thursday! About.com's parenting guides and I blog about money saving ideas on Thrifty Thursdays. Each blog item contains links to more ideas resources for saving money. This is an archive of previous Thrifty Thursday blogs.
Healthy Living
For new work at home moms, it seems like healthy living should come easy now. But healthy living always takes work whether you’re a WAHM, SAHM or a working mom with a commute. These healthy living tips can help keep you on track.
Listening to Music
Along with listening to music, the kids’ activities in this series of profiles need little adult help but are fun for kids. For a wide age range, these kids’ activities promote independence and teach kids to find their own fun...something a work-at-home mom appreciates. While not necessary an activity that stands alone, listening to music while doing another kids' activity can extend the time children stay engaged.

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