Being a full-time mom is no joke.

But being a work-at-home mom - aba'y, mas lalong hindi biro. Kukulangin ang bente-kwatro oras mo sa dami ng gagawin.

As a mom of 4 makukulit boys AND a full-time freelancer, kahit ako mismo nagugulat rin kung paano ko namamanage ang schedule ko. Ang maiksing sagot: kakayanin ang lahat para sa pamilya.

But for the aspiring freelancer moms who want some detailed advice, here’s what I can share:

1) Delegate or simplify your household chores.

Subukan mong lambingin si mister tapos pasahan mo ng mga chores.

If may mga ibang kasama kayo sa bahay, baka pwede din silang mapakiusapan.

In my case, si husband ang nagluluto ng masasarap na pagkain habang ako na sa iba pang gawaing bahay.

Whenever possible, invest in appliances din that simplify your workload. I bought an automatic washing machine that saves me a lot of time (and sakit sa likod). Iniiwan ko lang yung maduduming damit, lagyan ng sabon, pindutin ang "Wash" Button at voila! isasampay na lang. Sana meron din mag imbento ng automatic taga-sampay.

Kung kayo naman ang nagluluto, you might want to consider getting a slow cooker. I’ve heard good things about it din from friends. All you need to do is prepare the ingredients, put them in the slow cooker and leave to cook for 4-8 hours.

So madame ka pang magagawa na ibang bagay while umiikot lang si washing machine or nagluluto si slow cooker. This way, you’ll save time and tons of energy for doing (or studying about) online work.

2) Develop your unique system.

This takes trial and error dahil iba-iba naman tayo ng trip.

May mga maagang nagigising like 3 or 4am dahil mas energetic sila sa ganitong mga oras. Meron naman na pang graveyard ang bet para magtrabaho.

Mas challenging if infants or toddlers pa lang yung kids mo, 'coz need mong isingit-singit 'yung pagwork while tulog sila.

Mahirap sya pero sanayan lang din. At least, nababantayan at naaalagaan mo sila habang rumaraket ka.

Yung mga kids ko naman,  7 AM ang pasok nila. So habang wala sila, I try to do my most productive work between 7-11 AM. Yung pre-schooler ko will be back by 11AM, so kumakain kami ng lunch together. Then, I make myself available for our siesta and pagtulong sa mga assignments.

If you’re taking courses to upgrade your online skills, effective ang multi-tasking para saken. Nakikinig ako ng mga lessons using my phone, naka-earphones lang while washing dishes or cleaning the house.

I managed to finish 2 online courses while being a full-time mom nang paganito.

3) Choose the right job/client for you.

This is very important, lalong-lalo na for moms who need to conserve energy - NEVER SETTLE (parang love lang).

When finding jobs or clients, I have 2 main criteria for finding my perfect match:

1. SCHEDULE

I highly recommend finding flexi jobs for full-time moms. Eto yung mga jobs that don’t require you to be online at certain hours, as long as you complete the tasks.

Halimbawa: research jobs

Kahit anong oras mo man gawin ang task na toh, walang pake si client, as long as you could submit it before the deadline.

Some other examples of flexi tasks are writing, data entry, graphic design, bookkeeping, etc. Para makahanap ng mga ganitong jobs, basa-basa lang ng job descriptions or pwede din makipag-negotiate with clients about your preferred schedule.

2. RATES

The BIGGEST reason why I’m freelancing is dahil gusto kong makapag-provide for my family. Since I have 4 boys na malalakas ang appetite at pumapasok sa private school, I have to be strict about my monthly income goals.

Minsan kasi, hindi gawaing bahay ang nakakapagpa-stress sa mga WAHMs, kundi ang mga demanding pero BARAT na clients.

When I was a newbie, I accepted jobs for $5/hr. To meet my income goals, I needed to work for 40 hours a week!

But nag-invest ako on myself para madagdagan ang skills ko. I enrolled in online courses such as the VA Bootcamp, then Bookkeeping course (nag-Road to 100K Master Class pa ako afterwards).

It was worth it ‘coz natuto akong mag-target ng premium clients. Premium na rin ang hourly rate ko ngayon at $20/hr.

 Di na ako masyado nag-aaccept ng tasks na mas mababa pa dito. I also don’t need to work 40 hours to afford my expenses.

So whether newbie ka man o hindi, it’s important to know what rates you’re willing to accept and panindigan mo ito. It's okay to start charging at whatever rate you're comfy with, as long as may clear plans ka on learning and upgrading your skills in the near future.

4. Take breaks (yes, kelangan ding magpahinga ni curacha)

Supermoms are not robots – napapagod din tayo, nagkakasakit  (headaches, backaches, etc) at kailangang matulog, mga bes. Or else, good luck sa BEST WORST of both worlds.

Taking short breaks for coffee, quick stretches, or power naps won’t hurt. Hindi rin kasalanang mag-long break every 2 hours.

If may deadline ka talaga at napapagod ka na, rest ka muna saglit and manuod ka ng funny videos sa YouTube. Pwede ka rin maligo, or kumain ng snacks like peanuts, sandwich etc. para mabuhay ang natutulog mong maliw.

Madali mang sabihin pero mahirap gawin, find time din na makapag-exercise, kumain ng healthy meals, at mag-take ng vitamins para laging healthy.

5. Remind yourself of your WHYs.

It helps to keep any sort of motivational reminders near your workstation. Madalas kasi, nakakalimot tayo lalo kapag naiistress na.

Keep a picture of your motivators (your family, a vision board, yung pangarap mong bahay/kotse) or the things that scare you (monthly bills, EDSA traffic?, maiwan 'yung mga kids with yayas, etc.).

At the end of the day, ginagawa naman natin toh para sa mga mahal natin sa buhay - dahil sawa na tayong mamili between trabaho o pamilya.

So, gaano man ka-challenging, PUSH lang tayo, mga bes.

Hindi ka nag-iisa, marami tayong WAHMs na same ang iniintindi every day.

But kapag nagbunga na ang lahat ng pagsisikap, believe me, it's super worth it!

Ikaw naman ang magkwento.

What are your current challenges as a freelancer mom?

Let me know and chikka tayo in the comments below. 🙂