3 Ways Stay-At-Home Moms Can Use Their Time To Prepare For A Better Career When They Return to Work

If you've made the decision to take a few years out of work while your baby is young, but plan to return to your career once they start school, then you are probably enjoying the change of pace and the time to really enjoy these early years with your son or daughter. However, for some professionals, the stay-at-home mom lifestyle can feel a little lacking in mental challenges, and many worry that they won't be able to simply pick up where they left off in their careers after a few years away.

If this sounds like you, then there are some great ways you can use your downtime when your child is sleeping, your partner is looking after them, or they are happily playing by themselves to do things that can help you stay in a professional mindset and add something new to your resume. Here are just three ideas:

Get an MBA

Thanks to the fact that lots of good colleges like Northeastern University now offer online MBA degree programs, you can now study for your MBA at home while you look after your child. It is affordable, you can balance it around your family commitments, and it will open the door for you to aim for higher paid positions than you had before when you return to the job market, rather than having to go down a level because you have been out of the game for a few years. 

Start a Home Business

While it may not be what you want to do forever, running a small home business can be a way to keep your resume looking good and bring in some extra money, while still staying at home with your baby. You can make things and sell them online, write content as a freelancer, become a virtual assistant, design websites, or sell products through a network sales program. Whatever your talents and experience best lend themselves to, there is probably a home business you could consider.

Become a Blogger

Writing a blog or making video blogs for YouTube can be a great way to spend your more quiet time at home, and can also help you build an online presence. Some people have turned blogging into an entire second career. Whether you write about your previous industry, a hobby, or simply about parenting, you can gain an audience and build something that will, again, look good on your resume. You can also monetize your blog and make a little extra cash this way. 

So there you have it, whether you choose to work hard on an AACSB online MBA, express yourself on your own blog, or start a fun home business to keep you busy and make some money, these are all ways to keep working on your professional skills while you stay at home with your young child.