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3 Reasons Freelancing Makes Me a Better Parent
Spoiler alert…it is not about work/life balance
Being a working parent has never been easy. Traditional work scenarios are designed for people without boundaries and constraints with performance (explicitly or implicitly) tied to long workdays and the expectation to be “on-call” constantly. Fifty-six percent of parents say it is very/somewhat difficult to balance their job and family.
Working for myself gave me a level of control over my time that allowed me to meet my needs and my family’s needs. I’m not alone; seventy-four percent of freelancers say that freelancing gives them the flexibility to be more available as a caregiver for their families.
My “work/life balance” looks different from someone with a 9–5 job, it’s more integrated, and I’ve made sacrifices to make it work. I didn’t take twelve weeks of maternity leave. I went back to work after six weeks, but when I did, I was able to work while taking care of my daughter because I didn’t have a full client load and cultivated long-term client relationships that supported me in parenting while working. I can’t tell you how many calls I did that first year while breastfeeding or pumping!
That is just one example of the give and take required when freelancing as a parent. Ultimately, I can’t imagine being able to raise my daughter and…
