Balancing parenthood and freelancing is something I write about pretty often – it’s probably my biggest daily challenge, and one that doesn’t have a sense of an end date any time soon. A number of people I know are starting a family while freelancing, and it’s got me thinking – what would I have done differently if I’d freelanced through my maternity leave/return to work?
Built a fall-back fund
If it’s important to have a rainy day fund when you start freelancing, it’s vital when you’ve got dependents. It adds a significant extra weight of responsibility when you have other people to take care of and from a practical point of you, it also significantly adds to your outgoings. At the height of our bills, we were paying a lot more in childcare a month than we were on our mortgage. There’s also extra uncertainty about if/when you can return to work, so as a minimum, have a 3 month back up of all your side of the bills.
Kept working
Maternity leave through employers is really structured and I didn’t find it always fit my preferences. There were lots of times I felt able (and really wanted) to do more work than I was allowed under maternity leave rules. It meant my income was capped (frustratingly low at just statutory maternity pay for most of my maternity leave) and I felt I wasn’t able to keep progressing, using my brain and being valued for my knowledge/experience during that time. Freelancing could offer much more flexibility around taking on work that can be at days/times to suit and if the right work is available allow you to earn more and keep your “adult/professional” identity going a little stronger.
Created a colleague network
I’d definitely build a network of people who’ve been through it or who are about to – there’s nothing like hearing what someone else’s experience has been like to help prepare for any imminent highs and lows. I’d also see if there were people who might be able to act as a nominated second if I kept working, just to manage some of the risks, as well as someone to sense-check work with or bounce off of when the sleep deprivation really peaked.
Sorted my support channels
You’re not entitled to statutory maternity pay if you’re self-employed as a sole trader (although I think it’s possible if you have your own limited company), so I’d definitely have to put some research in to understanding what else you qualify for, including Maternity Allowance as it’s not something I know much about. And as part of this, whether other support channels like income protection would add any extra safety net during the main period of maternity leave.
Reviewed my business offering
Suddenly spending your time tag-teaming the care of children with a partner has huge implications for work. Whether it’s not being able to travel for a course, or run a session on a day you can’t get childcare, or the upheaval that family illness brings, you suddenly don’t have the same freedom and certainty you might be used to. I’d look at my business offering and build in balance of working from home, especially at the beginning, to mitigate the risks of not being able to travel or make as many in-person events. It would also be amazing to look ahead at how work will play out against short school days and term time only structures.
Braced myself personally
Having kids brings a whole new meaning to the idea of being partners. What we learned the hard way was that communication was key – to flag when you need help and recognise that neither of us are at our best when chronically sleep-deprived. Not unique to freelancing, but even considering a theoretical extra child makes me think about how you have to confront uncomfortable truths about being the product of your own childhood, how it’s a constant journey of exploration, joy and challenges and how easy it is to underestimate how hard it is to be the one doing the caregiving.
There a few unique challenges to freelancing through your parental leave, but I also wonder whether it might give more freedom at a time when you need it the most.
Photo by Megan Menegay on Unsplash