If you are considering a change of career so that you can spend more time with your children, there are plenty of options available. Whether you are going full “stay-at-home Dad” and looking for a way to make some money from home between carrying out childcare and household tasks, are aiming for you and your spouse to go part-time and take it in turns to look after the kids, or if you simply want a job that allows you more flexibility so that you can spend time with your family, there are many opportunities for you to consider!
In this guide, we will look at 10 careers that you can effectively balance with childcare responsibilities and achieve the work-family balance that you are looking for, as well as earn sufficient money to support your lifestyle.
Delivery Driving
Delivery driving has always been a job that works well alongside other commitments in life such as looking after children. Shift patterns are usually flexible, and often all that you need to start is a vehicle (and in some cases this is even provided for you). In the modern day, delivery driving has become even more accessible, with platforms such as Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo allowing anyone to become a delivery driver.
Nursing
Nursing is usually a difficult and demanding job, although it is usually described as highly rewarding. Not only is it rewarding, but shift patterns are often flexible enough to balance around childcare obligations, and salaries high enough to make part-time working financially viable. Even if you have previously worked in an entirely different job, there are many opportunities to get into nursing as a second career, as there are many courses available to help you to gain the relevant qualifications, and a lot of the training may even be on-the-job so you can earn a living while you learn!
Teaching
Becoming a teacher is a career path that has been suited towards parents for many years, due to the high chances of being able to work part-time. As well as this, working hours for teachers are usually similar to those of your own children’s schooling hours, so teaching works well as a career path for those with school-aged children who do not want to be apart from them for too much of each day.
Writing
There are many different kinds of writing that you can get involved with if you have good writing and communication skills. Almost any topic that you can think of has opportunities to write about it, and publications or websites that look for pieces on that topic. If you cannot find a job as a staff writer for a publication, you can even write freelance, meaning that you can write when you want, and on the topics that you want. Even if you land a contract with a publication, it is likely that you will be able to work from home and be on hand to supervise your children!
Digital Marketing
Like writing, digital marketing is a surprisingly lucrative field. Instead of focusing on writing articles specifically, a digital marketer is responsible for devising and carrying out a business’ online marketing strategy as a whole. This can include social media marketing, PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Like writing this can usually be done from home and can be done freelance, or as part of a company.
Private Tuition
If you have any kind of skill that can be taught to others, becoming a private tutor can be a lucrative career choice as well as being flexible for you to fit around other commitments. You could teach a foreign language, a skill such as mathematics, or even teach somebody how to drive! If you are an expert, or even just experienced, in a particular field, you can make a significant income for relatively short working hours from becoming a private tutor.
Web Design
As web design takes place almost entirely on the internet, it makes sense that this is a career path that you can carry out from your home, as long as you have a laptop or PC. If you need to be in the house to keep an eye on your children, web design is something that you can do in the same room!
Computer Programming
Just like web design, computer programming is a discipline that you can take part in from home while keeping an eye on your kids. As it is a relatively solitary pursuit, and reliant more on attention to detail and planning than it is on communication, you can intersperse it with carrying out household tasks such as cooking meals and entertaining your children.
Graphic Design
Graphic design, like web design and computer programming, is another discipline that can often be carried out from home. As well as this, it is also a field where you can choose to work for a graphic design company or to work as a freelancer starting your own business. As long as you have the knowledge and the tools (mostly computer software) needed, becoming a graphic designer can be flexible and convenient as well as financially profitable.
E-commerce
Online sales is an area that is extremely lucrative as well as being flexible in terms of time constraints and convenient for home working. Starting an e-commerce store can be a great option for a business if you have web design and marketing skills. You do not even have to necessarily order stock of products to sell—the drop shipping model is a common and increasingly popular way of running an online store that eliminated many of the traditional barriers for online commerce.
Careers that can be balanced with looking after your children are not just limited to the 10 on this list—there are many more out there that may be suitable! In addition to this, technological advances are making working from home viable in more and more job roles, so the number of opportunities is likely to continue to expand.