Christina Mattingly
For working moms and dads, today starts another week of juggling child care, carpools and careers.
But not all parents are caught up in the rat race.
Thousands have quit their day jobs and brought their work home with them. It's a juggling act, balancing both careers and kids. That's why thousands of moms and dads are working from home.
"If you have it within yourself to be organized and do everything that you can, in order to balance both, it can be done," a mother who works from home said.
But is working from home right for you? Experts, like Psychologist Dr. Will Miller, stress there are key things to consider before you quit your day job. You hear this all the time: know what you're good at. But what about the flip side?
"Just as importantly you need to know what you're not good at," said Dr. Miller. "And what you're not good at, you need to find ways to compensate. It's really important that you acknowledge where you need help, where you fall through the cracks and what your personality type is."
Experts say most personality types can make work at home jobs work. But it's not for everyone?
"People who do not do well in an isolated environment," Dr. Miller said.
Along with the right personality, you'll need the right work environment.
"Do you have a physical space that you can create in your home that can truly be segregated," Dr. Miller said. "Because remember one of the problems is distractions."
And just like other big decisions in life, consider your timing.
"Is this a good time in my life to do this," Dr. Miller said. "If you're a stay at home parent with preschool-aged children, well maybe, you can do it. But that could be a tall mountain to climb with distractions."
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