Being a mother is one of my life’s greatest joys, but no one could have prepared us to parent during a pandemic. When the world shut down in 2020, I was working an office management job that was just alright. It paid the bills. Getting laid off was a complete shock, but my employer had to cope with the fallout of shutdowns and the crashing economy. I thought it was the end of my world, but that was before I started working remotely as a single mom.
Raising kids by yourself requires a bit of skill at freestyling. Sometimes, we don’t know how to keep the lights on because there’s no clear path forward. Trying remote work became the best thing I’ve ever tried.
Here Are a Few Reasons Why I Began Working Remotely
I Remembered My Own Power
When the world falls apart, everyone feels powerless. International shutdowns and quarantining reminded me of how little control I actually had over my life. It was a sense of safety I needed as a single mom. Once that safety was gone, I wondered if I would ever feel it again.
Every day, I focused on finding something empowering to do. As the news reported how over a million mothers had lost their jobs, I ordered grocery pick-up for the family. My kids learned how to sit still long enough to listen to their virtual classes while I applied for whatever temp jobs I could find.
Responses started trickling into my inbox. Slowly but surely, the old social norms of a traditional 9-to-5 job became more of a memory. It was a lesson in how life is always pliable. My temp jobs and the success I found in them reminded me that I could do anything. And I would do anything to care for my two young kids.
Trying New Jobs Became Less Scary
I used to think I’d be in office management my entire life. It paid for my family’s food and kept the bills from stacking up. I didn’t enjoy it, but trying jobs in new industries seemed scary and all too risky.
Enter COVID-19. Every industry needed people to fill the roles they started reopening later in the year. I saw it as an opportunity to explore. The manageable chaos of temp jobs in retail and receptionist positions had become normal. What would it matter if I kept trying new roles in my free time at home?
I started accepting temporary virtual positions in industries I’d never worked before, like construction and finance. They helped me practice my old skill sets, like writing and time management, while I developed new ones. It wasn’t until I tried my hand at a short-term IT job that I found a new passion for computer science.
If I hadn’t pushed myself to try online jobs, I wouldn’t have discovered I love writing code and juggling tickets in management software. Every moment spent deep breathing to reduce my stress before a Zoom interview was worth it. I was growing. I could feel it. And it made me feel like a supermom.
My Skills Looked Different In the Best Way
After the first year of the pandemic passed, my kids were back in school and I was a certified IT professional. I loved my work, but my newfound confidence questioned if I could do more with my full-time virtual career. I might have needed positive affirmations to improve my self-esteem before the pandemic. After the quarantines ended, I’d already grown into a more confident version of myself.
I reflected on everything I did during the day and realized working remotely as a single mom gave me the skillset to run my own business. I knew how to provide virtual IT services, stick to a schedule and lead as a team manager. I just had to create a brand and market my skills.
I’d unknowingly built an entrepreneurial skillset while experiencing the joy of being home with my kids all the time. I didn’t have to commute, pay for daycare or worry about taking time off work when they got sick. Starting an online business made complete sense, especially since I’d already been in the virtual world for a while.
I Felt Ready to Dream Bigger
A pandemic will make you rethink your life. Working remotely makes you envision a new career. Doing both simultaneously made me take the advice I give to my kids — dream big. My IT business is still in the works, but I know I’ll get there. I kept raising two wonderful kids with a roof over our heads and food in our bellies while the world ended. Nothing can stop me now.
Embrace Your Own Potential Too
Working remotely as a single mom was one of the best accidents I’ve ever experienced. We all have the same potential to grow and achieve big dreams. I hope you start thinking about what you want for yourself and your potential in the coming days. Anything’s possible once moms put their minds to something.
