Work-from-home parents: Best of both worlds

“Work-from-home parents: Best of both worlds”

SunStar Davao, May 16, 2020

With our ‘new normal’, more and more parents are considering working from home as an alternative way to earn income, spend quality time with their families, and keep themselves and their loved ones safe from Covid-19.

Taking that big leap from a traditional work set-up to a work-from-home environment might be an unchartered territory, so to ease your fears, let’s learn from these parents on how to take this route.

          

NAME: KATHERINE C. ANSALDO

 

     FORMER WORK: Finance Officer/Food Caterer

 

     WORK-FROM-HOME JOB:  Teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) to foreign  

     students via an online class since 2016

    

     WFH SKED: As I tutor students of all ages from 4 to 56 years old, I hold regular class appointments starting       as early as 9:00 a.m. and ending around 10:00 p.m.  

      

           TYPICAL DAY: Unlike the typical daily grind that would require one to wake up and get ready for work by                 7:00 a.m., our routine is a lot more flexible, a lot more balanced. 

QUALIFICATIONS: Employers look to experience as a worthy foundation for employment as an ESL tutor, especially when the experience is in child-rearing. Training certificates and credentials are a plus but having just the right amount of confidence when facing the camera and getting into character is always key to online teaching.

EQUIPMENT: Lenovo Core i3-powered desktop with 20 Mbps Globe-at-Home Fiber subscription

WFH PERKS:

Ø    No more commute. No more traffic. No more rush hours. 

 

Ø    Work-life balance is not a myth, it can be achieved. Even the air you breathe changes, literally. Everything becomes non-toxic. Embracing the bare necessities of having a job, earning your daily keep without the hassle of stepping out of your home.

 

Ø    Less stress, more family interaction. You get to know who you live with better. You begin a cycle of inner change. You learn to be silent and listen more attentively. You begin to nurture and be truly grateful.

 

 

NAME: PAUL B. ANSALDO

FORMER WORK: I used to have a regular 9 to 5 job, working in the construction industry, juggling roles in sales and marketing for almost half of my life.

      WORK-FROM-HOME JOB:  I write copy and content for start-up companies and individuals as a project-based freelancer.

WFH SKED: When I began working as a content writer, my hours needed to coincide with the client’s time zone. It took some time to get adjusted to graveyard shifts but I was also blessed to have had countless opportunities to work with companies and individuals who understand the value of creativity and respect the time zone that I am in.

TYPICAL DAY: We manage our working hours seamlessly interweaved with the comings and goings of a regular day at home. Since our work requires us to sit for hours and may often lead to a sedentary lifestyle, we make it a point to squeeze in light cardio exercises.

QUALIFICATIONS: One might find it easy-peasy to write compelling copy and content in today’s tech-driven world of e-commerce and getting it into Google’s first page. It’s not. You need to have a steady stream of creativity and imagination, lose the verbose, and mind the fluff.

EQUIPMENT: I sport a “detonator” PC. A bareboned desktop running a P4 3.2 GHz processor, compensated by 6 GB worth of RAM.

 

WFH PERKS:

Ø  You embrace simplicity at its core and be genuinely happy and content all the more. 

 

Ø  The biggest bonus is the opportunity to meet people globally, fostering relationships beyond borders, and learning new skill sets every day.

 

Ø  Working from home enabled us to unplug from the normal society and be worthy to be counted among digital nomads who proverbially are a “dime a dozen”. It was our mutual choice to be intentionally present and engaged in our new roles as WFH parents, so much so, that our eldest daughter just recently took a life-defining career shift and is now also working from home.

 

NAME: CHERYL P. DACER

FORMER WORK: I worked for 3 years in Tokyo as an operator of reefer ships that carried bananas from the Philippines to be shipped to various parts of the world.

WORK-FROM-HOME JOB:  I am a cake artist, baker, and owner of Cake Lab. I bake cakes and different kinds of pastries. I create dessert tables and sell regular cakes in trays from home. My specialty is making fondant cakes and creating edible character figurines as toppers for my work.

WFH SKED: My working hours can be flexible when we’re not busy, around 8-10 hours.  I prefer to work later in the day because it’s not too hot to bake and I like to decorate at night because it’s quiet. But, during the holidays, it can get crazy. I sometimes must stay up for 24-48 hours to finish my work.

TYPICAL DAY: A typical day would be answering queries on my Facebook page while having a cup of coffee in the morning. I write down the details of the cakes that I need to decorate during the day, prepare all the ingredients needed, and decorate for the rest of the day. When I’m tired from a previous night’s work, I can take naps during the afternoons.  And, when the cakes are easy and I finish early, I spend time watching movies with my son and my assistant.

 

QUALIFICATIONS: I think it is important to have some inclination to art as my work requires a lot of creativity. It is also important to have patience as the details can be quite tedious. Most importantly, one must be incredibly hardworking to work long hours and rarely getting a chance to sit. 

EQUIPMENT: I use a Kitchen Aid, an oven, a chiller for the cakes, an air-conditioned kitchen, and baking pans and tools. Internet is also a must since I do most of my marketing online.

WFH PERKS:

Ø  I get to spend time with my son.  I take him to school and pick him up and we can do homework and chat       while I am working.

Ø  My son has a medical condition called Hemophilia. Sometimes, the school calls me for when he has nosebleeds or when he has fallen or hurt himself and I can immediately go and pick him up and give him the injections that he needs.

Ø  My work hours are flexible. No one tells me what time I have to start working and when I should stop. My body dictates when it’s time to rest.

Ø  I’m not required to dress up and put on make-up to work. I can work in my PJ’s as long as I’m wearing an apron and a hairnet, I’m good to go

Ø  I can watch movies, play loud music and laugh with my staff while working. It’s a very relaxed work environment.

 

NAME: JULIE FAITH PALO-LAPAZ

FORMER WORK: My first job was at a Korean academy teaching English to students for two years. I then worked for a BPO company as a communications trainer for another two years.

WORK-FROM-HOME JOB:  Our company is an online business English school that caters to Japanese professionals. So, our students range from fresh university graduates to top management officials in corporations. My job description basically entails assisting our trainers (English instructors) while they are teaching the students

WFH SKED: Being in Trainer Support Services, I work 8 hours a day and 6 days a week. The hours differ from day to day which also makes it more flexible for my home schedule as well.

TYPICAL DAY: A typical day means lugging around my laptop and earphones as I’m doing my supervisory duties while attending to the kids. During meetings, I slip into the bedroom or basement and prep my background (which is required to be white) and I wear my office shirt (instead of a blazer during the summer season) as I start my meetings both via Zoom and Skype.

QUALIFICATIONS: To be a trainer at my company, you just need to have at least two years of college to qualify. Then maintain good KPI and feedback from the students in order to be shortlisted by the Human Capital Department.

EQUIPMENT: Good working laptop; primary and backup internet; backup power supply; noise-cancelling headset and microphone; ring light; and roll-up tarp system for white background

 

          WFH PERKS:

Ø  I do not miss commuting to and from the office so working from home maximizes my time between family and work itself.

Ø  Not having to think of what to wear for work, as even though we are required to wear a blazer or our office shirt during meetings, I don’t have to worry about anything else.

Ø  Flexibility of schedule that helps me in managing the home as well as my team at work.

Ø  Safety, as I am just home and avoiding having to go out, it’s given my family the sense of security and safety that I do not have to go out especially during this pandemic.

Ø  I am a person who thrives on routine and schedules to help my life go in line with everyone else’s lives and with my work-from-home set-up, it has certainly helped me be as involved as I want to be and be as present in everyone’s lives as much as possible. 

 

NAME: MARIA LEA NOVERO-DOBLADO

FORMER WORK: I was a payroll application programmer/analyst in an integrated forest and paper company for 22 years.

WORK-FROM-HOME JOB:  I work in an online English training platform where our students are Chinese from all ages.  I conduct a 25-minute class depending on the student's chosen topic which I study or check ahead of time. The job entails me to give corrective feedback and make the lessons as fun and engaging.

WFH SKED: I start from 10:00 a.m to 9:30 p.m. with lunch, pm snack and dinner breaks for 1 hour each.

TYPICAL DAY: My day starts with me doing simple exercises and housework, then preparing for my classes by reviewing the student's chosen lessons. I catch sleep after eating lunch and snacks and after my last class, I review the next day's lessons. I end the day by browsing the internet, catching up on the news and playing brain games like Sudoku.

 

QUALIFICATIONS: You should have an excellent command in English language then passion and patience in teaching because some lessons could be tough depending on the student's proficiency level. Also, have energy and enthusiasm in teaching because this helps the students enjoy and be attentive in classes.

EQUIPMENT: Laptop or desk computer with a working camera, headset, and a strong internet connection

WFH PERKS:

Ø  Advantages would include control over my schedule as I can plot the time I'm only available and adjust it depending on other plans/commitments I have.

Ø  Work at home helps me save more as I don't have to spend any transportation fares.

Ø  I don't have to worry about the traffic or being late. It is also convenient to do other things in between like cleaning, cooking or napping on my breaks.

Ø  Higher earning potential as there are lots of online jobs out there you can try which are convenient for you.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. To view more photos, please visit http://momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com/.