I’ve lost count of how many times I answered the question, “What work do you do?” I used to answer, “I do SEO Consultancy”. And then it became, “Web Manager”. But now, I just say, “I work from home”. I would always get a “wow!” as reaction. In my head I would say “it’s not that easy”.

I’m a WAHM now– short for Work-At-Home-Mom. It hasn’t always been this way but I got into this WAHMderful career easier than others (I think). Even before I got married and had a son, I was already working from home.

I would always refer to my resignation from my last office job as my”retirement”. It was in April 2007 when I decided to leave the corporate job as an SEO Manager. I was about to get married soon but without any definite date yet. I had a job waiting for me at home. No, I wasn’t getting ready for being a homemaker but a UK-based company was needing an SEO Consultant. I don’t remember where I saw the job but I got it. I didn’t even know it was a telecommuting job. I guess it was just God telling me to heed a new direction for yet another different direction–marriage.

I worked for a European startup. It was a web design company who wanted to offer site optimization. Six years ago, every web company was into it. I helped the company start the service and worked for them for about nine months. On the side, I was also helping a Korean employment agency and was pro-blogging for a tech website. The latter has grown into more than just extra work as it is now my full time job— has been for more than five years.

When the consultancy work ended, I wasn’t thinking about my next job. I was about to get married in a month. Fine. It wasn’t time to apply for a new job yet. I had the wedding and my groom to worry about. But God, in His goodness and mercy, blessed me with a new one five days before my January 20, 2008 wedding. My Managing Editor e-mailed me, saying the company was seeking for an editorial assistant. I accepted the offer immediately but told him I was about to get married and will be going on my honeymoon the following week.

What perfect timing! I didn’t even think about the salary because I was glad to be offered a job. I could go on with the wedding without being ‘jobless’. It’s been more than 5 years since then—same job, same salary. I do problogging– writing tech news, gadget and app reviews, and now about cars. I used to have a fixed schedule working from 1pm to 9pm but ever since I gave birth, my boss said I could work from 1pm to 4pm and then come back at 9pm.

I see this job as a blessing. I used to accept a lot of projects. Before the baby came, I used to work from 7am to 2am the next day. I was that busy! I would even outsource some of my projects to my husband and my friends. I was on a roll and I would earn almost twice my salary when I was still in the office. That was before.

When I had my son, I suddenly didn’t have enough time. You know why. I was blessed to have my mom come in during the afternoon to take care of the baby while I work. But as the months and years go by, I had to let go of my projects so I decided to focus on only one– my full-time blogging job. I have no regrets but still it wasn’t easy.

My husband became a work-at-home-dad soon after our Noah turned one. His getting this job was also interesting. I was tired of him getting home from work so one night, I stopped working and decided to send his resume to whatever job posting I’d see. A few weeks after, he received a call, got interviewed, and was offered a job. We didn’t even know it was a telecommuting job. We only found out during his final interview.

We were only praying for a new job that would allow him to go home earlier but God blessed our family with more than what we asked for. My husband has been working for a Canadian software metrics as a Business Analyst/Team Leader for almost three years. His is a more serious job because he works with other employees based in Canada and the US. It’s a “real job” because he travels every year for their annual conference and training. Next week, he’ll be going to India to conduct a training. His company has started to form a Philippine team because the owner of the company, who is a Filipino-American wants to give back to his mother land. My husband now reports once a week in their office in Ortigas where he meets with all the other Filipino employees.

That’s how I became a WAHM. I am a Work-At-Home-Mom/Wife to a Work-At-Home-Dad. As to how we’re thriving, I have yet to write about that. 🙂

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For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

How I Became a WAHM (… and how my husband became a WAHD)
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Hi! I’m Reah and I’ve been working from home since 2007. I was single when I started working from home. I used to do SEO Consultancy but am now working “fulltime” as a blogger/editorial assistant for a German-based publication. I write tech news, gadgets, reviews, and just recently about cars. Salary is fixed but no change for more than five years and am on a flexi-schedule.

I got married to my childhood friend Joshua and we now have a super active pre-schooler named Noah. My husband is a musician at heart. He is a Business Analyst for a Canada-based software company and is a Work-At-Home-Dad. Yeah, that’s a WAHM living with a WAHM. I find our setup challenging because we do not have a helper (just a cleaning lady who comes in MWF) and a yaya for the little boy. It’s our choice not to get a yaya for many reasons. It’s difficult but we prefer it that way. Less stress. It would be different though when we decide to have another child. We’ll see.

I used to get other freelance jobs, mostly writing and web management, but I decided to focus on just one ever since I had my son. I can say I am blessed to be working with my boss who is very kind and understanding. I don’t know until when I’ll have this telecommuting job. But if and when my work ends, I want to start a buy-and-sell business or maybe take up my Masters.

This year has been challenging for me as a WAHM because after more than five years of “hibernation”, I have to go out everyday to bring my son to school. You see, we’re so used to sleeping and getting up late, both my husband and I, because of our work setup, but now we have to adjust everything for our son. I would say, “This is it. We’re no longer baby-sitting our son. Real parenting starts now.”

I realize that it’s not easy to become a homemaker. Mothers now have it easy though because we can still work from the comforts of our home and help support our household. I also think it’s not for everyone. I know a lot of people who tried telecommuting only to give up their jobs and get back to working in an office. It requires a lot of sacrifice financially, emotionally, and spiritually. How I wish all the moms I know could stay at home and be with their kids but sacrifices need to be made.

I’ve been a part of  the Manila Work-At-Home-Moms Facebook Group since last year. I got to meet some of you during the WAHMderful life seminar back in January. It’s really nice to read about how others are coping as a WAHM. Different women, different challenges…with same desire to become the wife and mother God wants us to be. 🙂

Read: How I Became a WAHM (… and how my husband became a WAHD)