When I was expecting my first child, one of my biggest fears was that I wouldn’t be able to manage both a successful freelance career and a growing family.
Sure, maternity leave meant taking a few months off from work but once I was back on the job, how would I handle the demands of being a mom while also keeping up with client projects? But as it turns out, being a freelancing mom doesn’t have to come with massive headaches.
By making some smart adjustments during pregnancy and after childbirth and by carving out time for yourself in whatever way you can you’ll find yourself juggling the responsibilities of a busy professional without sacrificing time with your little ones.
| Takeaways |
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| 1. Explore Flexible Work Arrangements: Consider alternative work arrangements such as part-time freelancing, job sharing, or remote work to balance motherhood and freelancing. |
| 2. Build a Support Network: Surround yourself with a strong support system of fellow freelancers, friends, and family who can provide assistance and encouragement during maternity leave. |
| 3. Plan Finances in Advance: Prepare financially by saving for maternity leave, exploring insurance options, and considering ways to generate passive income while taking time off. |
| 4. Prioritize Self-Care: Don’t forget to prioritize self-care during this time. Take breaks, delegate tasks when possible, and establish boundaries to avoid burnout and maintain your well-being. |
| 5. Leverage Online Communities: Join online communities, forums, and social media groups dedicated to freelancer moms to share experiences, seek advice, and find resources specific to freelancing during maternity leave. |
Negotiate Your Maternity Leave
If you’re a freelancer, the first step to negotiating your maternity leave is finding out what your company’s policies are. The more information you gather, the better equipped you’ll be to ask for what you need. If that sounds daunting, don’t worry we’ve got your back.
If there are no official policies in place at your workplace and/or with your agency (if applicable), start by asking questions: How long have they allowed their employees to take off?
Do they have any paid time off or vacation days built-in? Is there anything else I should know about my company’s policy on maternity leave?
While these inquiries might seem like small potatoes compared to some of the other issues facing freelancers today (like getting paid as soon as possible or ensuring that clients pay their invoices on time).
They can make all the difference when it comes time for new parents’ return-to-work conversations.
Once again though: This is not a one-size-fits-all process; every situation will be different based on personal circumstances and corporate culture.
But armed with knowledge about how others have negotiated their way through this tricky territory recently.
And armed with an understanding of how various factors impact our ability to do so successfully you’ll find yourself better positioned than ever before when deciding whether or not it makes sense for me now.
Balancing freelancing and maternity leave can be a challenge, but it can also have a profound impact on your life. Read about how freelancing affected my life when I was on maternity leave and discover the possibilities it holds.
Slow Down
Take a break from social media. Take a break from work. Take a break from your to-do list, your phone, your computer, and even your email.
You won’t get anything done if you’re constantly checking in on the internet or working yourself into exhaustion with constant check-ins at work (we’ve all been there).
The key to staying sane while freelancing as a new mom is taking time away from it all even if that just means shutting down for an hour or two each day to focus on other priorities like sleeping or spending time with family.
Hire A Helper
If you’re a freelancer, hiring a helper is one of the best ways to ensure that your business continues running smoothly while you take maternity leave. However, it’s important to consider the type of person who would be best suited for this position.
If you’re looking for an experienced housekeeper with childcare experience, then hiring an agency may be your best option. Agencies tend to offer childcare agencies that are screened and vetted before being placed on their books.
This can help save time and money as well as provide peace of mind when choosing someone new in your home or office environment.
Automate What You Can
Automating the little things is a great way to save time and energy.
For example, if you have a lot of client files that need to be updated regularly, automate it! Consider using a tool like Zapier (which connects your favorite apps) or IFTTT (if this then that).
These tools allow for automation by connecting different applications together so that when one thing happens in one application, another thing happens automatically in another.
For example, if you have an email from your client come into Gmail — Zapier can send an email back to them with all their information filled out.
Or when a new lead comes through LeadFuze (your business management software), it can automatically pull up their contact form details and put those fields right on top of the form template where they need to be customized before sending off via email campaign.
What other ways could you automate?
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Take Turns With The Baby Duties
Take turns with the baby duties. If you’re in a relationship, it’s important that both parents feel equally involved in the raising and care of their child. The time for taking care of the household, finances, or business should be divided equally between you and your partner.
Take turns with social media responsibilities. Social media accounts for many businesses these days; if yours is one of them and if there are no other employees involved you shouldn’t be taking on all of its management alone just because it’s yours.
Find someone else who can help out!
Take Advantage Of Breastfeeding
You should take advantage of breastfeeding. It’s a great way to bond with your baby, save money, save time and sanity, and even save your health!
Breastfeeding can help you bond with your newborn. That’s right, babies who are breastfed have an easier time of learning language skills than those who are bottle-fed by their mothers or other caregivers.
The benefits don’t stop there breastfeeding is also linked with higher IQs in children (and possibly adults).
Breastfeeding will save you tons of money in the long run. Not only does formula cost more than milk straight from the tap (duh), but buying it all the time means shelling out cash constantly for something that doesn’t go down easily when mixed into a bottle.
If you want to keep living beyond infancy, this one’s for you!
You’ll be able to spend more time focusing on your career if you’re not spending half an hour every few hours trying to get that last drop out of another container before going back for round two with another kind of container altogether! There goes productivity through the window…
Take Advantage Of Middle-Of-The-Night Feedings
When your baby gets hungry at night, there’s a good chance that you’ll be the one to get up and feed him or her.
If you’re breastfeeding, this may not seem like a big deal but if you were planning on taking advantage of 24-hour nanny services or daycare, it will probably change your mind.
Breastfeeding is great because it helps mothers bond with their babies, which is something that every new mom needs after giving birth.
It also helps them sleep better (and therefore stay healthy), lose weight faster (or hold onto what they’ve gained), and save money on formula (since breast milk is free) and clothing!
The best thing about nighttime feedings is the opportunity for bonding time between mommy and child without interruption from other sources like nannies or daycare workers who aren’t as close to your newborn as family members who live with them every day.
Night-time feeds are also a great way for dads/partners to help out around the house by making dinner so she doesn’t worry about cooking one more meal before bedtime after having worked all day too!
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Take Advantage Of Naptime
There are plenty of reasons to take a nap. Not only can naps help you stay alert and focused, but they also improve your memory and health.
If you don’t have time in your day for an afternoon siesta, set aside 10-20 minutes at lunchtime (or wherever else is most convenient) to rest up on the couch with an eye mask and some soothing music.
If you’re still feeling tired after taking a nap, consider adding another one into your schedule; many people find that two 20-minute power naps are better than one 40-minute nap when it comes to recharging their batteries.
Or try some other techniques like drinking coffee or walking around with eyes closed as another way of gaining clarity and focus after getting some rest (or staying up all night).
There are many benefits of napping: they help reduce stress levels while improving cognitive performance by helping us process information more efficiently;
Postpone Unimportant Projects
If you don’t have to take maternity leave, postpone the unimportant projects. Focus on the most important tasks for your clients, goals, and activities that are tied to those goals.
For example, if a client has a project due in two months and your baby is due one month from now, you can focus on doing all of the research for that project before you enter into your recovery period (or just cut out all non-essential work until after).
Outsource Everything Else
Hire A Virtual Assistant
The right virtual assistant can take some of the pressure off of you, freeing up your time for other tasks.
You can hire one for a few hours per week or per month, depending on how much help you need. If you don’t have much experience managing VAs, consider hiring one just to get over the hump and learn how to work with them effectively before transitioning fully into remote mode.
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Outsource Everything Else
There are plenty of tasks that don’t require a ton of creativity or heavy lifting that freelancers are happy to do for reasonable rates and even for free!
You may be surprised at how many people are willing to do things like data entry or research if it means they’ll get exposure to larger projects later on down the line; so don’t be afraid to ask around if there’s something specific holding back your business (in my case: Kickstarter videos).
Save Now For Later
You can save money ahead of time to help with the costs of taking maternity leave. Here are a few ways you can do this:
Open special savings account for maternity leave. Make it your top priority and deposit any extra income from freelancing into this account.
You may also want to set up automatic deposits so that you don’t have to think about it, but remember that putting it on autopilot will make it easy for you to forget about the account entirely.
So be sure that if something comes up where you need larger amounts than usual, or if something unexpected happens (like an emergency), this money is readily available.
Consider using some of your tax refunds as part of your maternity-leave savings fund. If you know ahead of time that you’ll receive a large tax refund in 2016 as opposed to 2017 or 2018 (for example).
Consider using some of that money now so it isn’t sitting around in your bank account and earning less interest than if it were invested elsewhere over time especially since one year’s worth of interest could end up being significant when multiplied by several years’ worth!
Plan Your Family Leave In Advance
If you’re a freelance worker, planning your maternity leave will help avoid last-minute surprises.
As a freelancer, it’s important to plan out your family leave in advance so that there are no unexpected changes or surprises when it comes time to leave work and focus on caring for your new baby.
If you have a regular schedule at work, try to plan around that so that other coworkers know what days you’ll be gone during the week (for example Tuesday through Saturday).
This way, coworkers can adjust their schedules accordingly if necessary. If possible, speak with other people who work remotely at the same company who may also be planning on taking time off after having children;
This way they can coordinate their schedules together so that someone is always available by phone or email (or both) while another person is out of the office during business hours as well!
You Can Have A Baby And Have Your Freelance Business Be Successful
You can have a baby and have your freelance business be successful. You can even have a baby and have your freelance business be successful. You just need to do the work, which means you’ll probably have to work harder than before.
But as long as you’re putting in the hours and earning an income from your freelance business, there’s no reason why having a family should stop you from following through on whatever projects or clients come along your way when they present themselves.
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Conclusion
There are many ways to make money as a freelancer mom without having to sacrifice too much time with your child.
You can go back to work part-time or full-time, find opportunities in other departments of the company you work for, start your own business from home, or even work remotely from anywhere in the world!
If one of these options doesn’t appeal to you, there might be an alternative that does. It’s important not just for women but for all parents who are trying their best at juggling a career and looking after their little ones.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to explore for further reading on the topic of maternity leave for freelancer moms:
The Guardian – Advice on Maternity Leave for Freelancers and the Self-Employed: Get valuable advice and insights on maternity leave for freelancers and self-employed individuals from The Guardian’s career section.
IPSE – Guide to Freelance Maternity Leave: IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) provides a comprehensive guide to freelance maternity leave, covering important aspects and considerations.
The New York Times – Maternity and Paternity Leave for Freelancers: Dive into The New York Times’ article discussing maternity and paternity leave for freelancers, exploring the challenges and options available.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding maternity leave for freelancer moms:
Q: How can I plan for maternity leave as a freelancer?
A: Planning for maternity leave as a freelancer involves considering factors such as financial preparation, client communication, and workload management. It’s crucial to have a well-thought-out plan in place.
Q: Are there any legal protections for freelancers regarding maternity leave?
A: Maternity leave rights and legal protections for freelancers vary depending on the country and jurisdiction. It’s important to research and understand the specific laws and regulations in your location.
Q: Can I continue freelancing while on maternity leave?
A: Freelancing while on maternity leave is possible, but it depends on individual circumstances, personal preferences, and the nature of your freelance work. Some freelancers may choose to reduce their workload or take a temporary break during this time.
Q: How can I manage my clients and projects during maternity leave?
A: Effective client communication is key during maternity leave. Inform your clients in advance, provide alternative arrangements if necessary, and set clear expectations regarding your availability and project timelines.
Q: What financial considerations should I keep in mind during maternity leave as a freelancer?
A: Financial planning is crucial during maternity leave as a freelancer. It’s important to factor in expenses, potential loss of income, and explore options such as savings, insurance, or government support programs to ensure financial stability during this period.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.