Mom Side Hustles and Hobbies
Written By: Bosky Singh, Moms on Maternity Columnist.
- I never know what to say when people ask what my hobbies are. I MEAN, I AM A MOM. I enjoy the trip to the bathroom alone and silence..*
Well, ladies, this was my WhatsApp bio for quite a long period. So true? Right? But not exactly the right thing for moms. We all could identify with longing for silence at times or just a bit of privacy to go to the bathroom alone without being followed by a little person. Often we give up our jobs to be there for our kids, (I know I did) and in that process, we forget about ourselves and our needs altogether.
Let's be honest having a little extra money never hurts. Besides an extra source of income, a side hustle provides that creative outlet, it helps give a sense of purpose and peace of mind that our skills are not getting rusty.
I am going to talk about some tried and tested side hustles where you can earn a buck or two. Ill also cover some hobbies we moms might enjoy to help us get the sanity we all long for. These ideas are based on my experiences and those of other mothers around me and not some nonsense I searched for online which seems pretty-good but not possible practically.
GARDENING: I can’t stress enough the importance of gardening. Nothing much is more satisfying than getting your hands dirty in the earth, in soil. Involve your little ones too, there is no harm in that. It will help connect them to the earth and it's something very much needed in today's society. It is found that gardening releases endorphins, which is the so-called happy hormone, and reduces stress in the process. Not much is needed to start your garden. A friend of mine started growing herbs in small beautiful pots and sharing pics on Instagram and FB and not long after she started getting orders. What started as a hobby turned into a small business. Moreover being in the sun would give you your daily dose of Vitamin D. And plants just lift your spirits and morale and they look so pretty. It’s a win-win situation in every sense of the word.
UPCYCLE AND RECYCLE: Start recycling products at home, those old lamps, half-burnt candles anything on which you can get your hands. I painted a couple of old car tires and use them as a corner table and placed some candles and plants on it and it just spruced up the entire area. I even painted an old bamboo rack and converted it into a book rack. Well, many of you must be far more talented than me, rack your brain and start on something you like, and if you are interested in making some money out of it then start posting pictures on social networking sites and wait. Again such creative activities reduce high cortisol levels and can result in down the road income.
START FREELANCE WRITING: This is something which all of us can do. We are all good at something or the other, why don’t we start freelancing our talents. I was working as an assistant professor and I used to write as well but when my little guy was born I put everything on hold, except writing for a while. However, recently I started writing again ferociously. This has resulted in me indulging in this chit-chat with you mamas! Do you know content writing for social media is one of the highest paying freelancing side hustles.? Upwork & Fiverr are a couple of sites where you can get yourself registered as a freelance writer.
You can work as a freelancer in these fields with ease:
- Copywriter
- Blogger
- Proofreader
- Social media manager
- Video creator
PARTY OR EVENT PLANNER: I think by now you must have become pro at party planning. I mean moms are born to do it. It's inbuilt in us. Start by spreading the word that you are offering services related to party and even planning. Ask friends and relatives if they need help in planning a party for their kids. Believe me, there are plenty of parents out there who just don’t have time to plan a party and end up hiring a party planner.
TUTORING: It’s a perfect side hustle for stay-at-home moms.You do help your kids with their homework anyways, dont you? Why not start offering your services as a tutor and start earning some money? Again there are many parents out there who are working full time and are not able to pay attention to their kid's studies and are looking for good tutors. You can tutor the kids at your home or there are several sites where you can use apps to teach online. The cherry on the cake is it just takes an hour or so to tutor.
CATERING: This is a perfect way to earn money. There are many families out there who want good meals for their parties or special evenings and they simply just don’t have the time to do so. You can offer your services as a caterer. Again don’t go overboard- start small, spread the word and you might be surprised at the workload coming your way. I know a mother of two who started by sending a meal for two or three families and now has her own set of loyal customers. Remember, most of us think a homemade meal is better than restaurant-bought food.
SELL ON ETSY: I believe it’s heaven for all you wonderful artists out there. If there is something you are good at like painting, crafting, or even digital prints or digital artwork, it’s the perfect place to start. I came across a lady from Russia who loves scrapbooking and started her shop on Etsy. She sells beautiful memory books for kids. You’ll come across many such stories, just open your eyes and see.
SELL ON AMAZON: Amazon is the place for commerce of these recent times. Here again, I would like to talk about a friend of mine for whom I wrote product descriptions for her website and amazon shop. She was a single mother not having much time to spare but started her own super small garment business where she did all the work. You can also buy items from local vendors and resell the items on amazon, many of the sellers on amazon are third-party sellers.
START BLOGGING: Yeah start your blog, something you are passionate about, it can be anything you are good at or love to talk and write about. It takes time to start and it doesn't generate much income initially but eventually it can be a great way to have a steady flow of cash coming in on the side.
BE A HOME BAKER: Most of us mamas love baking. Right? Why don’t you use that love to earn extra income. Baking again is such a stress-bursting activity. What could be more relaxing than baking in your warm kitchen, kids playing on mats, and those beautiful aromas of cakes, cookies, and chocolates just hanging in there. I know a few mamas who are excellent bakers and are making some good income by being a stay-at-home mom and baking. They spread the word around to friends and started getting orders for their homemade oatmeal chocolate chip raisin cookies.
MUSIC: More than a side hustle it's like a hobby, listen to music, learn an instrument or if you already know an instrument learn another one. The reason is very simple, music makes everyone happy. And if mama is happy the kids are gonna be happy too and thus a beautiful ambiance at home.
Here is a great take by FORBES: There is no downside to a side hustle. There are only benefits of building more than one source of income. A side hustle is the new job security.
So mamas, gear up do some brainstorming, ask yourselves what are you passionate about, what would you like to do, and get set go…
WRITTEN BY:
Bosky Singh is Mom to one boy aged 4. She is a regular columnist for Moms on Maternity.