Stay-at-home mom part-time jobs for today — broken down for mothers seeking flexibility build additional revenue

Real talk, motherhood is a whole vibe. But you know what's even crazier? Working to get that bread while handling tiny humans who think sleep is optional.

I started my side hustle journey about three years ago when I figured out that my random shopping trips were reaching dangerous levels. It was time to get funds I didn't have to justify spending.

Being a VA

Right so, my first gig was becoming a virtual assistant. And real talk? It was ideal. I was able to work during naptime, and all I needed was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.

I started with simple tasks like organizing inboxes, scheduling social media posts, and data entry. Pretty straightforward. I started at about $20/hour, which seemed low but as a total beginner, you gotta prove yourself first.

Honestly the most hilarious thing? Picture this: me on a client call looking all professional from the waist up—blazer, makeup, the works—while sporting pajama bottoms. Peak mom life.

My Etsy Journey

After a year, I ventured into the whole Etsy thing. Everyone and their mother seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I was like "why not join the party?"

My shop focused on designing downloadable organizers and digital art prints. What's great about digital products? You create it once, and it can sell forever. For real, I've gotten orders at midnight when I'm unconscious.

My first sale? I freaked out completely. He came running thinking there was an emergency. But no—just me, celebrating my five dollar sale. No shame in my game.

The Content Creation Grind

Next I got into the whole influencer thing. This particular side gig is definitely a slow burn, let me tell you.

I created a blog about motherhood where I documented real mom life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. None of that Pinterest-perfect life. Only honest stories about surviving tantrums in Target.

Building up views was a test of patience. The first few months, it was basically talking to myself. But I kept at it, and eventually, things began working.

Now? I make money through promoting products, working with brands, and advertisements on my site. This past month I made over $2,000 from my website. Insane, right?

Managing Social Media

Once I got decent at managing my blog's social media, small companies started asking if I could help them.

And honestly? A lot of local businesses suck at social media. They realize they have to be on it, but they don't have time.

This is my moment. I now manage social media for a handful of clients—a bakery, a boutique, and a fitness studio. I develop content, queue up posts, respond to comments, and monitor performance.

They pay me between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per client, depending on what they need. Best part? I can do most of it from my phone during soccer practice.

Freelance Writing Life

For the wordy folks, content writing is incredibly lucrative. I'm not talking literary fiction—I mean commercial writing.

Businesses everywhere need content constantly. My assignments have included everything from dental hygiene to copyright. You just need to research, you just need to know how to Google effectively.

Generally earn $0.10-0.50 per word, depending on the topic and length. When I'm hustling hard I'll create ten to fifteen pieces and bring in a couple thousand dollars.

Plot twist: Back in school I struggled with essays. These days I'm making money from copyright. Life's funny like that.

Virtual Tutoring

When COVID hit, online tutoring exploded. I was a teacher before kids, so this was perfect for me.

I joined several tutoring platforms. The scheduling is flexible, which is essential when you have unpredictable little ones.

I mainly help with K-5 subjects. The pay ranges from fifteen to thirty bucks per hour depending on the company.

The funny thing? There are times when my own kids will crash my tutoring session mid-session. I've had to be professional while chaos erupted behind me. My clients are very sympathetic because they're parents too.

Reselling and Flipping

Alright, this side gig started by accident. I was decluttering my kids' things and tried selling some outfits on Facebook Marketplace.

Stuff sold out so fast. That's when I realized: you can sell literally anything.

Now I visit anywhere with deals, looking for good brands. I'll find something for three bucks and flip it for thirty.

This takes effort? For sure. I'm photographing items, writing descriptions, shipping packages. But it's strangely fulfilling about finding hidden treasures at Goodwill and earning from it.

Plus: my kids think I'm cool when I discover weird treasures. Last week I discovered a rare action figure that my son went crazy for. Got forty-five dollars for it. Mom win.

Real Talk Time

Real talk moment: this stuff requires effort. It's called hustling because you're hustling.

Certain days when I'm exhausted, doubting everything. I wake up early hustling before the chaos starts, then handling mom duties, then working again after bedtime.

But this is what's real? These are my earnings. I'm not asking anyone to treat myself. I'm supporting the family budget. I'm showing my kids that moms can do anything.

Tips if You're Starting Out

For those contemplating a side gig, here are my tips:

Don't go all in immediately. Avoid trying to juggle ten things. Focus on one and master it before adding more.

Work with your schedule. If you only have evenings, that's perfectly acceptable. Even one focused hour is valuable.

Comparison is the thief of joy to the highlight reels. That mom with the six-figure side hustle? She probably started years ago and has resources you don't a quick overview see. Run your own race.

Spend money on education, but strategically. You don't need expensive courses. Don't spend huge money on programs until you've proven the concept.

Do similar tasks together. This saved my sanity. Dedicate days for specific hustles. Make Monday making stuff day. Wednesday could be handling business stuff.

Let's Talk Mom Guilt

I have to be real with you—the mom guilt is real. Sometimes when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I feel terrible.

However I consider that I'm showing them work ethic. I'm demonstrating to my children that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.

And honestly? Having my own income has made me a better mom. I'm happier, which translates to better parenting.

The Numbers

My actual income? Typically, total from all sources, I bring in $3K-5K. Some months are better, it fluctuates.

Is this getting-rich money? Not really. But it's paid for so many things we needed that would've been impossible otherwise. And it's creating opportunities and skills that could grow into more.

Final Thoughts

Here's the bottom line, combining motherhood and entrepreneurship isn't easy. You won't find a magic formula. Often I'm making it up as I go, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and doing my best.

But I'm glad I'm doing this. Every single dollar earned is proof that I can do hard things. It shows that I have identity beyond motherhood.

If you're on the fence about starting a side hustle? Take the leap. Begin before you're ready. Your tomorrow self will appreciate it.

Don't forget: You're not merely surviving—you're building something. Even if you probably have old cheerios in your workspace.

Not even kidding. This is pretty amazing, mess included.

From Survival Mode to Content Creator: My Journey as a Single Mom

I'm gonna be honest—becoming a single mom wasn't on my vision board. Nor was turning into an influencer. But here we are, three years later, making a living by being vulnerable on the internet while handling everything by myself. And not gonna lie? It's been the most terrifying, empowering, and unexpected blessing of my life.

The Starting Point: When Everything Changed

It was 2022 when my divorce happened. I remember sitting in my mostly empty place (he took what he wanted, I kept what mattered), wide awake at 2am while my kids were finally quiet. I had eight hundred forty-seven dollars in my account, little people counting on me, and a job that barely covered rent. The fear was overwhelming, y'all.

I was scrolling social media to distract myself from the anxiety—because that's the move? when we're drowning, right?—when I stumbled on this woman sharing how she made six figures through content creation. I remember thinking, "That's either a scam or she's incredibly lucky."

But when you're desperate, you try anything. Maybe both. Often both.

I downloaded the TikTok creator app the next morning. My first video? No filter, no makeup, pure chaos, talking about how I'd just put my last twelve dollars on a pack of chicken nuggets and fruit snacks for my kids' school lunches. I posted it and immediately regretted it. Who gives a damn about my mess?

Apparently, thousands of people.

That video got 47K views. 47,000 people watched me almost lose it over chicken nuggets. The comments section turned into this incredible community—fellow solo parents, others barely surviving, all saying "same." That was my epiphany. People didn't want perfect. They wanted raw.

Discovering My Voice: The Honest Single Parent Platform

Here's what nobody tells you about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? I stumbled into it. I became the unfiltered single mom.

I started creating content about the stuff no one shows. Like how I lived in one outfit because I couldn't handle laundry. Or when I fed my kids cereal for dinner several days straight and called it "creative meal planning." Or that moment when my child asked why we don't live with dad, and I had to have big conversations to a kid who is six years old.

My content wasn't pretty. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was real, and evidently, that's what hit.

Two months later, I hit 10,000 followers. Month three, fifty thousand. By half a year, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone felt impossible. People who wanted to follow me. Little old me—a barely surviving single mom who had to figure this out from zero recently.

The Actual Schedule: Juggling Everything

Here's the reality of my typical day, because this life is nothing like those perfect "day in the life" videos you see.

5:30am: My alarm goes off. I do want to throw my phone, but this is my hustle hours. I make coffee that I'll microwave repeatedly, and I get to work. Sometimes it's a get-ready-with-me sharing about money struggles. Sometimes it's me meal prepping while sharing dealing with my ex. The lighting is whatever I can get.

7:00am: Kids emerge. Content creation goes on hold. Now I'm in mommy mode—cooking eggs, the shoe hunt (it's always one shoe), making lunch boxes, breaking up sibling fights. The chaos is overwhelming.

8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom making videos while driving in the car. Not my proudest moment, but the grind never stops.

9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. Kids are at school. I'm editing content, replying to DMs, ideating, doing outreach, looking at stats. Everyone assumes content creation is just posting videos. Absolutely not. It's a real job.

I usually batch-create content on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means filming 10-15 videos in one sitting. I'll change clothes so it looks varied. Life hack: Keep multiple tops nearby for fast swaps. My neighbors probably think I'm unhinged, recording myself alone in the parking lot.

3:00pm: School pickup. Transition back to mom mode. But plot twist—many times my best content ideas come from this time. Recently, my daughter had a epic meltdown in Target because I said no to a $40 toy. I created a video in the parking lot once we left about handling public tantrums as a solo parent. It got over 2 million views.

Evening: Dinner, homework, bath time, bedtime routines. I'm completely exhausted to film, but I'll plan posts, answer messages, or prep for tomorrow. Some nights, after the kids are asleep, I'll work late because a brand deadline is looming.

The truth? Balance is a myth. It's just controlled chaos with occasional wins.

Income Breakdown: How I Generate Income

Look, let's discuss money because this is what everyone's curious about. Can you really earn income as a content creator? 100%. Is it effortless? Nope.

My first month, I made zilch. Month two? Still nothing. Month three, I got my first brand deal—one hundred fifty dollars to feature a food subscription. I actually cried. That one-fifty covered food.

Today, years later, here's how I generate revenue:

Brand Deals: This is my main revenue. I work with brands that fit my niche—budget-friendly products, mom products, children's products. I bill anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per partnership, depending on what they need. Last month, I did 4 sponsored posts and made $8K.

Platform Payments: TikTok's creator fund pays pennies—maybe $200-400 per month for millions of views. AdSense is more lucrative. I make about $1,500 monthly from YouTube, but that took two years to build up.

Affiliate Marketing: I post links to stuff I really use—anything from my beloved coffee maker to the bunk beds I bought. If someone purchases through my link, I get a kickback. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.

Downloadables: I created a financial planner and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell fifty to a hundred per month. That's another over a thousand dollars.

Coaching/Consulting: Aspiring influencers pay me to mentor them. I offer 1:1 sessions for $200/hour. I do about five to ten a month.

Combined monthly revenue: Most months, I'm making ten to fifteen thousand per month these days. Some months are higher, some are tougher. It's inconsistent, which is nerve-wracking when you're it. But it's 3x what I made at my old job, and I'm available for my kids.

The Struggles Nobody Talks About

This sounds easy until you're losing it because a post tanked, or managing vicious comments from internet trolls.

The haters are brutal. I've been told I'm a terrible parent, told I'm a bad influence, called a liar about being a divorced parent. A commenter wrote, "Maybe your husband left because you're annoying." That one stung for days.

The algorithm shifts. One month you're getting huge numbers. Then suddenly, you're lucky to break 1,000. Your income is unstable. You're never off, always "on", scared to stop, you'll lose relevance.

The mom guilt is amplified beyond normal. Every video I post, I wonder: Am I oversharing? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they resent this when they're teenagers? I have strict rules—protected identities, keeping their stories private, nothing that could embarrass them. But the line is hard to see.

The I get burnt out. There are weeks when I am empty. When I'm touched out, over it, and completely finished. But life doesn't stop. So I create anyway.

What Makes It Worth It

But the truth is—through it all, this journey has blessed me with things I never expected.

Economic stability for the first damn time. I'm not rich, but I eliminated my debt. I have an safety net. We took a real vacation last summer—Orlando, which felt impossible not long ago. I don't panic about money anymore.

Control that's priceless. When my boy was sick last month, I didn't have to use PTO or stress about losing pay. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a school thing, I can go. I'm available in ways I wasn't able to be with a traditional 9-5.

Connection that saved me. The other influencers I've befriended, especially other moms, have become my people. We talk, collaborate, encourage each other. My followers have become this amazing support system. They cheer for me, encourage me through rough patches, and validate me.

Identity beyond "mom". Finally, I have an identity. I'm not just an ex or someone's mom. I'm a business owner. A businesswoman. Someone who created this.

My Best Tips

If you're a single parent thinking about this, here's what I wish someone had told me:

Don't wait. Your first videos will be awful. Mine did. It's fine. You get better, not by overthinking.

Be yourself. People can smell fake from a mile away. Share your real life—the unfiltered truth. That's what works.

Guard their privacy. Set boundaries early. Be intentional. Their privacy is sacred. I keep names private, minimize face content, and protect their stories.

Build multiple income streams. Don't rely on just one platform or one income stream. The algorithm is unpredictable. Diversification = security.

Batch your content. When you have free time, record several. Tomorrow you will appreciate it when you're unable to film.

Connect with followers. Reply to comments. Answer DMs. Be real with them. Your community is crucial.

Monitor what works. Be strategic. If something requires tons of time and flops while another video takes minutes and goes viral, shift focus.

Take care of yourself. You need to fill your cup. Take breaks. Guard your energy. Your sanity matters more than going viral.

Be patient. This is a marathon. It took me months to make decent money. The first year, I made fifteen thousand. Year two, eighty grand. This year, I'm making six figures. It's a marathon.

Don't forget your why. On hard days—and trust me, there will be—think about your why. For me, it's money, time with my children, and validating that I'm capable of more than I thought possible.

Being Real With You

Here's the deal, I'm telling the truth. Being a single mom creator is challenging. So damn hard. You're running a whole business while being the lone caretaker of children who require constant attention.

Many days I question everything. Days when the hate comments sting. Days when I'm burnt out and questioning if I should get a regular job with consistent income.

But and then my daughter shares she's happy I'm here. Or I look at my savings. Or I see a message from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I remember why I do this.

What's Next

Years ago, I was scared and struggling how I'd survive as a single mom. Now, I'm a full-time content creator making more money than I ever did in corporate America, and I'm there for my kids.

My goals going forward? Get to half a million followers by December. Create a podcast for other single moms. Consider writing a book. Continue building this business that makes everything possible.

This journey gave me a path forward when I had nothing. It gave me a way to support my kids, be available, and create something meaningful. It's not the path I expected, but it's perfect.

To every single mom out there wondering if you can do this: Yes you can. It will be challenging. You'll doubt yourself. But you're handling the hardest job in the world—parenting solo. You're tougher than you realize.

Begin messy. Keep showing up. Keep your boundaries. And don't forget, you're not just surviving—you're building an empire.

Time to go, I need to go record a video about why my kid's school project is due tomorrow and I just learned about it. Because that's the reality—content from the mess, one TikTok at a time.

Seriously. This journey? It's everything. Despite I'm sure there's crushed cheerios all over my desk. Dream life, mess included.