One of the best things that can happen to a parent is having the possibility of spending as much time as they would like at home with their children. Being able to quit a regular 9 to 5 job in order to become a stay-at-home mom who fully dedicates her time and attention to her children is a dream come true for many mothers, but sooner or later some may face financial difficulties or simply feel like they need to get back to their careers.
No matter the reason, as a stay-at-home mom you can still contribute financially in your day-to-day life without actually leaving the house. Depending on your skills and preferences, there are many ways that you can make extra money online.
Sell Crafts
If you’re a creative type of person and you love spending your time on creating all sorts of home decor, handmade clothes or jewelry, then you can consider running an online business where you can sell your very own products.
How much you can earn from this hobby-turned-into-business depends on many factors, but if you love creating, then it is worth trying. According to Sokany.com, a craft artist in the U.S. starts with an average salary of $14,223 per year and can go up to $56,321.
Sites that you might want to consider selling your wares include Etsy.com, Ebay.com, Aftcra.com, ArtFire.com, and Cratejoy.com
Stay-at-home MomBlogger/Writer
Maybe you already have heard so many stories about moms leaving their jobs and becoming full-time bloggers, so why not give it a try? You can easily start your own blog and develop it into a full-time business over time by earning money out of ads, collaborations and affiliate programs.
If you want to focus on writing without making a blog, you can start a freelance writing career. For example, there are many parent-oriented websites that are seeking blog posts from real parents and this gives you the opportunity to cash in from your personal experience as a stay-at-home mom. According to Payscale.com, the average salary of a freelance writer is $39,341 per year.
One mom of two girls, Holly Porter Johnson from Club Thrifty now makes over $100,000 a year from writing while being a stay-at-home mom. Holly earns enough that her husband now works with her and they get to live a lifestyle that allows them to travel the world while watching their girls grow up.
Holly says, “I used to work a 9-5 job that took up way too much of my time. I felt like I rarely spent time with my kids because I worked all day and spent my evenings doing chores, bath time, and everything else. Freelance writing changed my life because I was able to stop wasting time commuting.”
She goes on to say that, “Even though I work all day, I have a lot more time to do laundry and other chores. I can easily take a half day off to eat lunch with them at school or take them to a dentist’s appointment – things I couldn’t do when I worked full-time. I also earn a lot more money than I did when I worked-full time. I earned around $40,000 per year in my previous career, but I now 5x that much.”
Holly shares how she consistently makes more than $20,000 each month as a freelance writer working from home, or from vacation, on her site, Club Thrifty.
Virtual Assistant
Even if you aren’t the creative type that would earn money out of arts and crafts, there are still plenty of options that a stay-at-home mom can explore. One of them is working as a virtual assistant, which might 
Athena Lent, teacher who is currently also battling cancer, now supplements her income as a virtual assistant in her spare time. For Lent, “Being a virtual assistant allows me to work at any time I need to, as long as the projects are done by the due date. This flexibility allows me to rest as needed with my chronic illness yet at the same time allows me to still have a career.”
The best thing about bring a virtual assistant is that you can utilize a range of skills and grow others all while being paid. Relationships can be short-term or long-term and can work around your schedule.
For virtual assistant positions, try platforms like Upwork.com but be sure to have a very attractive profile and apply for roles that fit both your skills and your lifestyle as a mom.
Transcriptionist
Depending on the work conditions you’re given, a transcription job can be really flexible and to allow you to take as many projects as you need or want. Choosing a career in the transcription field can be an ideal opportunity especially if you have medical or legal experience. It is in high demand, plus there is the not-so-high entry barrier going in your favor. However – the better listening and writing skills you have, the bigger the chances to get more lucrative projects. According to the Transcription Certification Institute, a transcriptionist earns around $15 per hour.
If you do not have specialized knowledge such as medical or legal, you can do general transcription through online services. Some of the most popular services will pay you by the word or minute. Visit sites like Rev.com, Speechpad.com and TranscribeMe.com offer the opportunity to work from home doing transcription.
There is a sea of opportunities out there that can help you to pick up from you left off or even get you started with a job that you always wanted to pursue – all this while you spend time at home with your children and still get to contribute for your family at the same time. It’s safe to say that being a stay-at-home mom with a work-from-home career can be an exciting new chapter in your professional life.