5 Reasons Proofreading Is Perfect for Stay-at-Home Parents

As a stay-at-home mom or dad, you might not have thought about balancing childcare with a career in proofreading. But working as a freelance proofreader is one of the best jobs around for stay-at-home parents! Want to know why? We’ll give you five reasons:

1. You don’t need a lot of training to start (our course will get you up to scratch in 40 hours).
2. You can work as much as you want, when you want, and where you want.
3. Proofreading pays, so you can earn a bit of extra money to pad the family budget.
4. Working from home means you don’t have to put your career entirely on hold.
5. Proofreading can provide a sense of accomplishment and a much-needed break from the day-to-day challenges that come with stay-at-home parenting.

Learn more about why proofreading is perfect for stay-at-home moms and dads below!

1. It’s Easy to Get Started

Becoming an excellent proofreader does take training. But compared to the doing a university degree, it takes very little time and money to become a top-notch proofreader.

For example, our comprehensive Becoming A Proofreader course teaches you all you need to know to start as a freelance proofreader. And it takes about 40 hours to complete, whereas a degree from a university can take years. In addition, with our course, you can study whenever and wherever works for your family’s schedule. Which brings us to our next point…

2. Work When and Where You Want

If you’ve chosen to be a stay-at-home parent, family comes first. You want to be there for your kids, especially in their early years. And that simply isn’t compatible with many jobs.

But proofreading is an exception! The brilliant thing about freelancing is that you can work any time you want (e.g., nap time, bedtime, those odd moments when the kids are being unusually quiet) and anywhere you want (e.g., at football while waiting for practice to end, in the yard while the kids play, or even at a hotel while on a family trip).

As such, proofreading is flexible enough to fit it around your family’s needs.

3. Earn Money for the Family Budget

Planning for a family on a single income isn’t easy. It’s also why so many stay-at-home moms and dads end up with a side gig to help make ends meet.  And with the flexibility that freelance proofreading and editing provides, you can earn a little extra cash by taking on as much (or as little) work as you wish, thus helping to meet your family’s financial goals.

4. Keep Your Career on Track

Many parents who choose to stay at home with their kids put their careers on hold. But you don’t have to! By proofreading from home, stay-at-home moms and dads can:

• Develop keen writing, editing, and formatting skills.
• Build non-proofreading-related professional skills such as effective communication, attention to detail, time management, tracking finances, etc.
• Make sure there isn’t a gap in your resume.
• Network with a wide variety of people and professionals.

All these will help you when you decide it is time to re-enter the workforce. Or you may decide to make proofreading a full-time career as your kids grow up, allowing you to take on more work. Either way, you don’t have to put your career on pause to be a parent!

5. Stay Sharp and Active

Being a stay-at-home mom or dad is rewarding, but it is also challenging at times: tasks are monotonous and parenting can be isolating, especially when children are small. Many parents also feel a loss of identity or a lack of accomplishment at some point.

How can you overcome these challenges? Well, you need something to help keep life interesting. And proofreading might be just the thing you’re looking for because:

• It keeps your brain active and breaks up the monotony of parenting.
• Successfully proofreading a document brings a feeling of accomplishment (unlike picking up the toys again and again…), as does contributing a bit financially.
• It’s fun (at least for us word nerds)! And we all need a bit of that.

And again, you can do this to your own schedule, without sacrificing time with your family.

Becoming A Proofreader

Are you a stay-at-home parent looking for a side gig to challenge you or provide a little extra income? Proofreading is a great choice. Check out the free trial of our Becoming A Proofreader course and enjoy all the advantages working as a proofreader provides.