When you have children, many parents are faced with a difficult decision: do they return to work, or stay at home to raise their children? While choosing to stay at home has its benefits, it can also take a toll on your financial security, and as a stay at home parent, it can be difficult to find ways to earn money. Luckily, if you know where to look, it’s not impossible to find jobs which are suited to your individual needs! If you are in need of some extra income and are struggling to figure out what you should do for part time work, here are some ideas of part time jobs suited to stay at home parents which you might find useful.
Pet sitting
If you have a big enough home and garden space, then pet sitting can be a great way to earn extra money while still being available to look after your children. You can either advertise your services independently, through social media or even in the local paper, or even join a website which matches pet owners to people who can take them in. It’s up to you how long you are willing to make yourself available to look after the animals: you could operate as a daycare center, or agree to look after animals on a longer-term basis, such as if their owners are going on holiday.
Working as a freelancer
Doing freelance work gives you the freedom to offer whatever services you like, from the comfort of your own home, without being tied to a contract with one specific company. This is a great way to earn money as a stay at home parent, as you can choose your own hours, and only take on work which is suited to you. If you are worried about not being given a pay stub, then you can always create a pay stub for your own records, and then have it signed off by whatever company contracts you if necessary.
Tutoring
If you are particularly skilled at a certain subject, then it might be worth considering becoming a tutor. The best thing about tutoring is that you can set your own prices, based on your ability, qualifications and who you are offering the lessons to. You could offer lessons on a variety of classes, from the core subjects such as mathematics and literature, to more extracurricular activities such as piano lessons or foreign languages.
Secret shopper
Secret shopping can be a really hit or miss job, but if you are only looking to earn a little extra income with a part time job, it could be perfect for you. Secret shopping is a job role which can be tailored to your own time frame, and you can choose only to take on assignments which are suited to you. This could be anything from testing products at a local store, or evaluating the customer service at a restaurant. Of course, as you are going undercover as an every-day shopper, that also means you have the freedom to take your children with you!