Before my daughter was born, I decided we would not watch T.V. at all. I heard all about the studies that said T.V. was bad for kids, that there’s no real interaction, that it may affect their ability to pay attention, and other scare tactics.

For us, television has been a sanity saver. There are times when I can’t be my daughter’s only source of entertainment, and we both need a break from each other. My daughter gets to visit places she’ll never see otherwise, she gets to see all kinds of people, and she’s introduced to lots of different concepts. For instance, she’s never seen snow in real life. The other day I pointed out that there was snow on the mountains, and she said, “I can ski on that snow!” I don’t ski. I don’t talk about skiing. She learned that on television.

I tape record educational shows for us to watch together, and we interact with them together sometimes. Our huge favorite is The Backyardigans. While there isn’t a teaching curriculum, she (and I) love to sing and dance together. When she was younger we watched Teletubbies.

Why do I mention this here? Lately I’ve found some shows on PBS that are wonderful programs that teach reading and writing. My educational favorite is Super Why. My daughter watches them read words, sound out letters and letter blends, write letters, and sing the alphabet. I find her telling me, “S. Sssssssss,” or “Tuh Tuh. T!” I love how she’s getting introduced to phonics. She answers their word questions, sings the alphabet with them, and pays close attention when they’re spelling out words.

While I’m still working at home without daycare, television is also a way for me to get a few minutes to concentrate on work.

So if you’re looking for another way to teach your toddler reading and writing, or if you’re a work-at-home parent, maybe rethink the whole television ban idea. Television might not be so bad after all, when used wisely.

Do you need a reason to improve your grammar and writing? If you have children, or plan to soon, you have at least one great reason.

My daughter will be 3 years old in about 3 months. Though I know that genetics plays a role in her incredible language ability, I also credit her skills to my parenting style.

One thing I do is talk to her constantly, in regular language. I use prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, contractions, etc. I make it a point to tell her what things are, how they work, and I use a lot of words to explain. I also give her definitions.

My point is that my daughter uses almost perfectly correct grammar when she speaks. Sometimes she’ll say “me” instead of “I”, and of course she’s no English expert, but it’s amazing to watch her learn English everyday. If I didn’t know how to speak properly, and if I didn’t take the time to actually talk to her, she wouldn’t be able to communicate as coherently as she does.

Hand in hand with grammar is writing. I made sure to introduce and point out the alphabet to my daughter early, and we often discuss letters and words. When we’re playing with crayons, I often wrote letters for her, so it’s no surprise that she likes to make letters as best she can (she’s pretty good at writing an A, H, V, and U.)

Another excellent tool is right in front of you. I’ve allowed my daughter to watch me type, and I let her type letters too. This helped her learn not only her alphabet, but also punctuation marks and numbers. She often tells me, “Let me type my name, Mommy.” Right now she just types whatever letters strike her fancy, but she has fun pretending she’s writing words.

All of these everyday activities will help my daughter become a good writer, speaker, and reader.

So if you need to brush up on your basic rules of grammar, or if you never thought it was important to speak to babies and toddlers, give it a second thought. It really does matter.

Just this morning my daughter told me, “I hear a train. That’s strange. Hey! Train. Strange. Train. Strange!” I made sure to tell her that that’s called rhyming. I’ll let you know in a few years when she’s written her first book.

Note: Look for more stories about my daughter’s amazing talents. I’ll be talking about her more and more, or I might just have to start another blog that’s not about writing.

One of the perks of owning a home-based business is that you set your own hours. You can work late at night, early in the morning, or during “regular” hours. It’s up to you!

But when are you most productive? It probably depends on the task you have to complete, and also on your lifestyle.

For me, mornings are best for dealing with clients and for marketing. I work with clients all over the country, so I need to be able to contact people who live on the east coast. If I wait too late, they’re usually gone for the day. I’m most productive in the morning hours once I’ve woken up, eaten, and cleaned up.

My writing is best done late at night. I’m no good during the middle of the afternoon. That’s when I get overcome with sleepiness. So I’m kind of a night owl, and I get my second wind after 9 p.m. This might be because my daughter is blissfully asleep then, and I can’t write well when she’s up running around.

Blogging activities (replying to comments, dropping Entrecards, writing posts) are another story. When my daughter’s at home I can usually take care of most blogging tasks, but sometimes I wait until the wee hours of the night/morning.

What are your most productive times for the jobs you do at home?

(Photo by Andrew Beierle)

In the beginning, Crayon Writer was intended to market my freelance writing business. It still is. But it’s become a bit more, and I now consider this blog to be a business itself.

Interested in joining this venture? There are several ways.

First, I’m adding a Satisfied Readers blogroll for people and companies who’d like to pay me for my “crayon writing.” Some call it a donation, but I figure that you should only donate if you think my words are worth paying for.

Or perhaps you feel strongly, like I do, that society benefits from mothers staying with their children as long as possible, and you’d like to support that cause.

Either way, if you send at least $10.00 using the convenient “Donation” button (found in the sidebar), your link will be added to the “Satisfied Readers” blogroll. Just so the list doesn’t get too long, I will have to remove links sometimes (first in, first out), but your link will be active for at least 24 hours (probably longer). I will only link to sites that are PG, though, so if it’s offensive to me I won’t post the link (no refunds for donations, though).

Email me the following information when you’ve donated $10:

1. Tell me what anchor text you want for your link
2. Tell me the URL for the link

Want to have a lengthier, more visually appealing advertisement on Crayon Writer?

You can buy advertising space or a review. The full details are on the Advertise page, complete with convenient buttons for you to make immediate purchases. Reviews are just $50, while 125×125 ads are just $40 per month. Click here to reserve your space or buy a review now.

Finally, take a look at some of the products in the sidebar. I have an affiliate partnership with the products I recommend, so if you’re in the market for them please buy them by clicking on them at Crayon Writer.

That’s it! Crayon Writer is officially open for business. If you’re ever in need of great writing for your business or blog, click on the tab for Copywriting Services. My freelance business is still accepting new clients too.

November was my month for marketing my freelance writing business. 

I did a bit of cold emailing (as time permitted, considering I have a very busy toddler), and I have a few warm leads as a result.

I also started a new blog, Marana Unwrapped, both because it’s an interesting topic and it’s a more specific niche. (I consider Crayon Writer to be a more personal blog that also has some universal appeal.) Hopefully the exposure in my community will help me gain more clients, and the niche should attract advertisers also.

So December is my month of looking for freelance gigs, while I also continue looking for another day job.

What’s a freelance gig? Projects I find not by marketing myself, but by perusing freelance sites. Right now I only use Craigslist. With access to cities across the country (and the world, if I choose), I should be able to find some nice side work.

If you’re a single parent or sole breadwinner, how did you get started with your freelance business, and how do you keep on keepin’ on?

I haven’t talked about my life as a WAHM lately. So here’s an update.

I’m worn out!

My lovely daughter is now almost two-and-a-half, and deep in the throes of the “terrible twos.” She’s not as bad as most, I must admit.

But my days are long. Almost everything has to be negotiated because she’s pretty headstrong about–well– everything. Simple things turn into long, drawn-out ordeals that leave us both exhausted and upset.

The past few days she’s been home with me all day (no babysitting), and I’ve started a new cold email campaign, I’m looking for another “day job” (in case the cold emails don’t work), I’m trying to win the MyBlogLog Problogger contest (join my community), and I’m working on a couple of little projects.

Whew!

I could really use a cappucino right about now.

One of the lucky things about my latest computer crash is that I’ve been using my old clunky desktop (with Windows 98!) So now that my laptop’s been repaired, my daughter can play on one of them while I’m working too. That helps, since now she’s tired of many TV shows. I bought her a Disney-themed toddler game, and she really enjoys it.

She loves to say she’s “working,” or that she’s “busy,” just like she hears Mommy say all of the time.

But, like another blogger said, I’m hoping to stay the course. If I can take it.

You’ve no doubt heard it before. Being a mother is a full-time job.

I really got that message loud and clear when I was a staying home with my daughter. But I was only working part-time at home. Hard enough.

Now I’m working oustside of the home too. That gives me a break of sorts, in that I’m not mothering all day. But after dealing with people all day (I’m working as a customer service representative), I find it exhausting to then come home and be a full-time mother also.

Not that I wasn’t exhausted before, mind you.

I don’t know how people do it! Let’s see how long it’ll take me to acclimate to my new lifestyle.

Well, I finally did it.

I decided to get a “day job.” As I previously wrote, I was finding that my business and blog weren’t growing as quickly as I needed. And working with my almost 2 year old at home made it even more difficult. Being a single parent, I am the sole income source. Things can get kind of scary when that income is unpredictable.

So I finally got a day job. The great thing about it is that it’s flexible. The next two weeks is training, but I can work a different schedule each week or two. I won’t be able to work on my blogs while I’m at work, but that’s a minor inconvenience for the perk of making a steady income.

For now, I chose a job that will allow me to slowly re-enter the workforce. Being at home with my daughter for almost two years will make working a regular job sort of like culture shock.

But maybe it’s like riding a bike. We’ll see.

Honestly, though, I’m enjoying my time apart from my bossy toddler. I love her to pieces, but I desperately need to be a single person again, rather than a perpetual twosome. And I can tell by the way she cheerfully, almost bossily, tells me, “BYE Mommy!” that she’s happy to separate from me also.

I’ll try to keep up with my blog writing, but expect more sporadic posts for a while. If you haven’t already subscribed, now would be the time. It won’t be much fun checking my site regularly, only to find no new articles. Subscribing will be worth it.

Now that I’ve learned about future posting, I’ll start writing away on the weekends and in the evenings.

Have any of you work-at-home parents gone back to the regular workforce? What was it like? Were you still able to keep up with your at-home job?

Wish me luck!

One of the things that’s been holding me back, I believe, is a lack of firm goals with clear methods of achieving them.

I don’t know what it’s like for other business owners, particularly those without children at home, or those who have a partner/spouse.

But being a single mom and a WAHM, of a toddler no less, makes for a very “fly by the seat of your pants” lifestyle. One that I’m probably going to have to alter very soon.

I’m realizing it may be possible to set some clear goals and methods, even if I have to wing it occasionally.

So let me reveal my plan to you.

I have three priorities right now (besides taking care of my daughter, which is the driving force behind everything).

1. Look for a “job.” It’s time for me to have a day job so I can sustain our lifestyle while I build my business. Nothing drains the positive energy out of you faster than having to constantly worry about money.
2. Build my copywriting business.There’s no way I can have a successful business if I just sit around and think, “Yep. I have a business. Mmm hmm. I sure do.”
3. Build my blogging business. As Yaro Starak points out (you’ve got to download his free Blog Profits Blueprint), I have to think of my blog as a business, and treat it as such. So I have to focus on growing it to a level where it is at least a great secondary income.

Now that I’ve set the goals, I’m going to make some quantifiable actions.

1. Contact 4 companies every day for employment opportunities. Because I want to work near my home (gas costs, not too far from my daughter), I compiled a list of businesses nearby. Someone’s gotta be hiring for something.
2. Contact 4 companies every day for freelance writing opportunities. I wrote about marketing techniques recently, and of course that’s how I’ll go about reaching these companies. I may actually contact the same ones who aren’t “hiring.”
3. Connect with 4 new blogs and write one article daily (whether or not I post it that day).

And that’s it! I have to keep it simple and short. No more than 4 hours a day.

Until I start working, and until my daughter starts daycare (in about a month when she turns two), I have to juggle my daytime activities with a variety of toddler activities.The older she gets, the more time she seems to require from me. Without Teletubbies I wouldn’t even get to touch the computer during her awake times.

What are your goals and simple methods? If you’ve already started a plan of action, share with us how it’s working for you.

Working for yourself is an interesting life, as I’m sure most of you know.

Darren Rowse just posted an interesting article about making a contract with yourself. It got me thinking about doing the same thing, and seeing where it leads me. In his contract, he stipulated that if he couldn’t stay on track for at least 2 months, it would probably be time to get a regular job.

I have to continue being honest with myself.

If I had a “real job,” my daughter would be away from me the entire time I’m at work. That isn’t happening with my home job. She’s with me about 80% of the time. That’s a lot.

Another work-from-home mom, Susan Payton, wrote an article “confession” on eMoms At Home. Her child is in daycare full-time. In her words, she works from home and is a mother, but is not a work-from-home mom.

Anyway, this has all got me thinking about the best course of action for my family. I’ve started applying for “regular jobs” in the meantime. As a single mother without a lot of money saved up, I have to make some type of income while I grow my business.

I’ve been extremely lucky the past couple of years to have lots of help from my family. But my daughter is beginning to enjoy (and seems to need) time away from me. And, I have to admit, I notice that I crave some time away from her (even though she’s a sweetie pie).

We get along so much better when she’s been away for a while. We miss each other, but we laugh so much more when we’ve been apart.

For those of you who are WAHMs and WAHDs, what are your experiences and thoughts?