I was a licensed nurse and had the map of my life routed out to
specifics. I had a plan in mind that included goals, dreams, anticipations
and expectations. No one knows how quickly those things change unless
you have had the pleasure of experiencing the role of being a special
parent. Like many special parents out there, I was struggling, looking,
and wondering how I could continue to meet the demands of my career,
all while caring for my child with special needs. While being a
special parent is the most important role in your life, you also
have to somehow manage a career and financial support. Your role
is multipurpose and you want to be there for your child, but your
career demands a huge percentage of your time and efforts. How can
you be a special parent, cater to your career, provide for your
family and maintain your sanity?
If you or someone you know is parenting a special needs child and
trying to work outside the home, you know exactly what I am talking
about. Sure, you can leave your child with a friend, a parent or
other caregiver, but when it comes down to specifics and your child
needs you, it’s much easier to stop what you are doing at home than
it is to face your employer and deal with their scrutiny. You have
to remember, unless you are the parent of a special needs child,
this is a situation you just about have to experience in order to
understand or comprehend the importance your role plays in that
child’s life.
I always thought if anyone could do it, I could. I was a struggling
single mom with a good head on my shoulders and a positive attitude.
I was perfectly capable of maintaining a demanding career and taking
care of my special needs son along with my other 2 children without
having to change a thing. I was bound and determined to succeed
one way or another without having to inconvenience my career or
my everyday life in any shape, form, or fashion.
Guess what? Like many other parents of special needs children,
I was wrong. I had to make decisions that I really didn’t want to
make. In that process, I had to manage transitions that were mind-blowing
and difficult to say the least. I used my own tactics and I compromised,
I was literally at the end of my rope and finally, in 1998, I was
able to eliminate a great deal of stress that was controlling my
life, and began to experience the fulfillment of being a full-time
parent to my special needs child and became enabled to work from
home to help financially support my family.
During the past few years, I have also helped others become home-based
income producing parents and here are some examples of questions
people have asked:
• Was this transition easy? No. If you are looking for an easy
way out, working from home is most likely is not something for you.
If you don’t have the persistence, patience and are not goal-oriented,
you can forget it.
• Did you struggle? Yes, in more ways than one.
• How did you finally begin creating an income from home? It wasn’t
easy and began with many promising opportunities that turned out
to be less than legitimate.
• Did you have skills? Well of course I had skills, I was a licensed
nurse, but believe it or not, none of those skills were needed at
any of the opportunities I ran across at the time.
To sum it all up, I was like many other parents, struggling in
the 9-5 grind, looking for solutions to my situation, solutions
that would allow me to earn an income from home, be my own boss
and be there for my special son all while being the type of parent
I felt he, and my other children deserve. I wanted a package deal,
even if it meant changing my focus, rearranging my plans and struggling,
I wanted to be there for my special child and my other children
and focus on life with them. I wanted to minimize my absence from
my family, gain some independence and make this transition as smooth
as it could possibly be.
The entire process of going from working outside the home to working
at home hasn’t been easy. It’s been a long road full of challenges
and barriers. Being the parent of a special needs child has been
the major motivating factor for me in my pursuit of working from
home. You have to take those challenges and face them head on, move
those barriers and leap over them; get down to business. Find something
you love to do and turn it in to an income-producing opportunity
of your very own.
For more information about Susan Hill and her insight on work from
home, drop in and visit her at Break
Time Virtual Services.
About The Author:
Susan Hill is the mother of 3 children, and her youngest son is
a special needs child. She is the President and Founder of Break
Time Virtual Services and is also known for writing inspirational
poetry that once read, is never forgotten. For over 8 years, she
has offered services to individuals, small businesses, home based
businesses and an array of other clients. She is also in the beginning
stages of launching an addition to her business which would offer
home job coaching services to those who would like to work from
home. You can contact Susan by visiting Susan’s website or by emailing
info@susanhill.org.
http://susanhill.org
Article Source: articlecity.com:
Parents of Special Needs Children Deserve Special Work Opportunities
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