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Stay-at-home moms are no
longer just the co-stars from Leave It To Beaver, the
Brady Bunch, and other television shows from a bygone era.
Taking care of the kids has become the cool thing to do
again for women in their 20s and 30s. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, there are at least 5.4 million
stay-at-home parents in the United States alone. These are
a dynamic bunch of women, and men, who see opportunities
in their domestic role, especially the opportunities
presented by the Internet.
Sure, many of these parents
gave up exciting careers and important roles in their
community to take up the time-honored tradition of rearing
their children. You yourself may have put goals and dreams
on the back burner when you accepted the commitment and
responsibility of raising your little ones. You understand
the importance of a parent being there for those firsts:
the first crawl, the first step, the first
"momma" and "dadda."
At the same time, though,
you may feel like you have taken on too much. Not only do
you have the pressures of bringing up a smart,
well-behaved child. You worry about being able to make
ends meet to provide everything your child needs.
If this sounds all too
familiar, take a deep breath, turn off the television, and
log online. No, don't think you're going to surf the Web
to just pass the time. The Internet is your portal to
transforming your stay-at-home life. In between the diaper
changes and feedings, bedtimes and burpings, you can reach
beyond the walls of your home and access the outside world
as never before. The benefits are as close to limitless as
the millions of sites on the Web, including:
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E-support system. Whether
you're searching for other stay-at-home moms to lean on,
folks with the same health ailment as yourself, or even
just other Oprah fanatics, the Internet is like one big
community center where you can find them.
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Friends and fun. Through
e-mail, chat rooms, and instant messaging, the Internet is
one of the easiest ways to keep in touch with old friends
and family members, as well as to meet new acquaintances.
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Cyber community. Look for
your neighborhood's Web site for information on shopping,
festivals, town hall meetings, and other local interests.
If you can't find your town's home on the Internet, take a
leadership role in creating it with the help of your
neighbors.
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Cap and gown. Many
community colleges and universities offer e-courses. You
never need to step foot on the campus to earn degrees in
finance, English, accounting, or whatever else suit your
fancy.
*
Steals and deals. If
you're looking for some of the biggest discounts and best
selection for anything from electronics to groceries,
books to automobiles, the Web is your marketplace.
*
Cash flow. The Internet
can work for you, as well, if you are on the other end of
the cash register. The Web provides an unparalleled avenue
to sell goods. It can link you to interested buyers if
you're only looking to unload a few knickknacks to
unclutter your home. If you have enough stuff to open a
garage sale, you can do that, too, without time or space
constraints. Or try your hand at a full-time online
business if you get bit by the entrepreneurial bug.
The Internet can open up
the outside world to you for all of these benefits, but
you need the right set of keys to open the door. Your
first "key" is the type of Internet access you
use. You'll need to weigh your budget versus how fast you
want to navigate on the Web. Cable and DSL hook ups
provide zippy access but can cut into your profit margins.
Dial up, on the other, can be cheap or even free, but can
slow down your productivity.
Once you have your hook up
established, you'll need to get your feet wet before you
do heavy surfing. Find trusted sites for your activities.
Look for certified schools to take courses at and secure
shopping zones to purchase at. When selling or starting
your own business, do your research to find the most
trusted and thrifty auction and classified sites. The
right classified sites can be like your neighborhood
paper, except they reach millions of people around the
globe. In many cases, the best classified sites will also
charge no start up or transaction fees and offer safe ways
to communicate and do business with clients.
Settle these basics, and
you can be virtually ensured to become a true M.O.M, a
master of multitasking. In the time it takes your child to
take a nap or watch an episode of Blues Clues, you will be
able to earn 4 more credits to your finance degree, buy a
new mp3 player, and sell a closet's worth of stuff.
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About
The Author
Donald
Lee is the public relationship manager for
Buysellcommunity.com.Buysellcommunity
provides free classified listing services
for individuals and businesses to market
their products and services online. For
global and localized classifieds, visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com |
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