Let me tell you, mom life is not for the weak. But here's the thing? Working to earn extra income while managing toddlers and their chaos.
This whole thing started for me about several years ago when I had the epiphany that my random shopping trips were becoming problematic. I needed cash that was actually mine.
Being a VA
Right so, I kicked things off was jumping into virtual assistance. And not gonna lie? It was chef's kiss. It let me work during naptime, and all I needed was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.
I began by simple tasks like email sorting, scheduling social media posts, and data entry. Super simple stuff. I started at about fifteen to twenty bucks hourly, which wasn't much but for someone with zero experience, you gotta begin at the bottom.
Here's what was wild? Picture this: me on a video meeting looking all professional from the chest up—looking corporate—while wearing sweatpants. Peak mom life.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
Once I got comfortable, I thought I'd test out the handmade marketplace scene. Literally everyone seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I was like "why not me?"
I started making downloadable organizers and home decor prints. What's great about digital products? Design it once, and it can sell forever. Literally, I've gotten orders at midnight when I'm unconscious.
The first time someone bought something? I freaked out completely. My husband thought there was an emergency. Negative—I was just, cheering about my glorious $4.99. Don't judge me.
Content Creator Life
Then I discovered creating content online. This hustle is a marathon not a sprint, real talk.
I launched a mom blog where I shared the chaos of parenting—everything unfiltered. No Instagram-perfect nonsense. Only honest stories about surviving tantrums in Target.
Building traffic was a test of patience. Initially, I was basically talking to myself. But I didn't give up, and eventually, things gained momentum.
Currently? I generate revenue through affiliate marketing, working with brands, and ad revenue. This past month I generated over $2,000 from my website. Crazy, right?
SMM Side Hustle
As I mastered my own content, brands started inquiring if I could manage their accounts.
Truth bomb? Tons of businesses don't understand social media. They understand they need a presence, but they're clueless about the algorithm.
Enter: me. I currently run social media for three local businesses—various small businesses. I create content, queue up posts, handle community management, and track analytics.
I bill between $500-$1500/month per client, depending on what they need. What I love? I manage everything from my phone during soccer practice.
The Freelance Writing Hustle
For those who can string sentences together, content writing is incredibly lucrative. Not like literary fiction—I mean content writing for businesses.
Brands and websites always need writers. I've created content about everything from dental hygiene to copyright. You don't need to be an expert, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
Usually bill $50-150 per article, depending on how complex it is. Certain months I'll produce 10-15 articles and earn $1-2K.
Plot twist: I was the person who thought writing was torture. These days I'm earning a living writing. Life is weird.
Tutoring Online
When COVID hit, online tutoring exploded. I used to be a teacher, so this was an obvious choice.
I signed up with VIPKid and Tutor.com. You choose when you work, which is absolutely necessary when you have children who keep you guessing.
I mostly tutor basic subjects. The pay ranges from fifteen to twenty-five hourly depending on the company.
What's hilarious? Sometimes my kids will burst into the room mid-session. I've had to be professional while chaos erupted behind me. My clients are incredibly understanding because they're parents too.
Flipping Items for Profit
So, this side gig I stumbled into. I was decluttering my kids' closet and posted some items on various apps.
Things sold instantly. I suddenly understood: people will buy anything.
These days I shop at thrift stores, garage sales, and clearance sections, on the hunt for quality items. I'll buy something for cheap and resell at a markup.
It's definitely work? Absolutely. There's photographing, listing, and shipping. But I find it rewarding about finding a gem at a garage sale and turning a profit.
Additionally: my kids are impressed when I bring home interesting finds. Just last week I grabbed a collectible item that my son absolutely loved. Made $45 on it. Score one for mom.
Real Talk Time
Let me keep it real: this stuff requires effort. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
Certain days when I'm surviving on caffeine and spite, wondering why I'm doing this. I'm up at 5am working before my kids wake up, then handling mom duties, then more hustle time after everyone's in bed.
But this is what's real? That money is MINE. No permission needed to splurge on something nice. I'm adding to my family's finances. My kids see that you can be both.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're considering a side hustle, here's what I'd tell you:
Start small. Don't try to juggle ten things. Pick one thing and master it before expanding.
Be realistic about time. If naptime is your only free time, that's fine. A couple of productive hours is a great beginning.
Stop comparing to what you see online. Those people with massive success? They put in years of work and has support. Run your own race.
Learn and grow, but carefully. Free information exists. Don't spend massive amounts on training until you've tested the waters.
Batch tasks together. This saved my sanity. Block off time blocks for different things. Make Monday making stuff day. Wednesday might be handling business stuff.
The Mom Guilt is Real
Let me be honest—guilt is part of this. Certain moments when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I feel guilty.
But I consider that I'm teaching them work ethic. I'm proving to them that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.
Additionally? Financial independence has helped me feel more like myself. I'm happier, which makes me more patient.
The Numbers
How much do I earn? Most months, combining everything, I earn $3,000-5,000 per month. Some months are better, some are tougher.
Is it life-changing money? No. But we've used it to pay for family trips and unexpected expenses that would've stressed us out. Plus it's giving me confidence and experience that could become a full-time thing.
Final Thoughts
Here's the bottom line, doing this mom hustle thing is challenging. There's no secret sauce. Most days I'm making it up as I go, surviving on coffee, and doing my best.
But I'm glad I'm doing this. Every single dollar earned is evidence of my capability. It demonstrates that I'm a multifaceted person.
If you're on the fence about diving into this? Take the leap. Don't wait for perfect. You in six months will appreciate it.
Keep in mind: You're more the study referenced than getting by—you're building something. Even when you probably have Goldfish crackers stuck to your laptop.
No cap. The whole thing is incredible, mess included.
From Survival Mode to Content Creator: My Journey as a Single Mom
Real talk—single motherhood wasn't the dream. Neither was turning into an influencer. But here we are, three years later, making a living by being vulnerable on the internet while parenting alone. And I'll be real? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Came Crashing Down
It was a few years ago when my relationship fell apart. I can still picture sitting in my half-empty apartment (I kept the kids' stuff, he took everything else), wide awake at 2am while my kids were passed out. I had less than a thousand dollars in my checking account, two mouths to feed, and a job that barely covered rent. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to distract myself from the anxiety—because that's the move? when we're drowning, right?—when I found this solo parent talking about how she changed her life through making videos. I remember thinking, "She's lying or got lucky."
But desperation makes you brave. Or both. Often both.
I downloaded the TikTok app the next morning. My first video? No filter, no makeup, pure chaos, explaining how I'd just spent my last $12 on a frozen nuggets and juice boxes for my kids' school lunches. I uploaded it and wanted to delete it. Who gives a damn about this disaster?
Apparently, way more people than I expected.
That video got forty-seven thousand views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me get emotional over processed meat. The comments section turned into this unexpected source of support—people who got it, people living the same reality, all saying "I feel this." That was my turning point. People didn't want perfection. They wanted honest.
Discovering My Voice: The Honest Single Parent Platform
Here's what nobody tells you about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? It chose me. I became the mom who tells the truth.
I started creating content about the stuff no one shows. Like how I once wore the same yoga pants for four days straight because executive dysfunction is real. Or the time I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner several days straight and called it "breakfast for dinner week." Or that moment when my daughter asked why we don't live with dad, and I had to talk about complex things to a kid who still believes in Santa.
My content wasn't pretty. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was authentic, and evidently, that's what connected.
In just two months, I hit ten thousand followers. 90 days in, 50K. By half a year, I'd crossed 100,000. Each milestone felt surreal. People who wanted to hear what I had to say. Me—a broke single mom who had to figure this out from zero six months earlier.
My Daily Reality: Managing It All
Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because this life is the opposite of those aesthetic "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm sounds. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that will get cold, and I get to work. Sometimes it's a getting ready video sharing about single mom finances. Sometimes it's me making food while sharing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation pauses. Now I'm in full mom mode—making breakfast, finding the missing shoe (why is it always one shoe), packing lunches, stopping fights. The chaos is overwhelming.
8:30am: Drop off time. I'm that mom in the carpool line filming TikToks when stopped. Not my proudest moment, but I gotta post.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my hustle time. I'm alone finally. I'm in editing mode, replying to DMs, ideating, pitching brands, looking at stats. Everyone assumes content creation is only filming. Absolutely not. It's a full business.
I usually batch content on specific days. That means creating 10-15 pieces in one sitting. I'll switch outfits so it looks varied. Hot tip: Keep different outfits accessible for outfit changes. My neighbors think I've lost it, recording myself alone in the backyard.
3:00pm: Pickup time. Parent time. But here's where it gets tricky—often my best content ideas come from these after-school moments. A few days ago, my daughter had a massive breakdown in Target because I refused to get a $40 toy. I created a video in the vehicle later about dealing with meltdowns as a single parent. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: The evening routine. I'm typically drained to film, but I'll schedule uploads, answer messages, or outline content. Certain nights, after bedtime, I'll edit videos until midnight because a brand deadline is looming.
The truth? Balance doesn't exist. It's just organized chaos with some victories.
The Money Talk: How I Support My Family
Look, let's talk dollars because this is what people ask about. Can you make a living as a online creator? Absolutely. Is it simple? Not even close.
My first month, I made $0. Second month? Also nothing. Month three, I got my first sponsored post—one hundred fifty dollars to share a food subscription. I actually cried. That $150 paid for groceries.
Fast forward, years later, here's how I make money:
Collaborations: This is my largest income stream. I work with brands that align with my audience—budget-friendly products, single-parent resources, kid essentials. I get paid anywhere from five hundred to five thousand dollars per partnership, depending on what's required. Last month, I did four collabs and made $8K.
Ad Money: TikTok's creator fund pays basically nothing—a few hundred dollars per month for massive numbers. YouTube ad revenue is better. I make about fifteen hundred a month from YouTube, but that took two years to build up.
Affiliate Income: I share links to products I actually use—ranging from my beloved coffee maker to the kids' beds. If anyone buys, I get a cut. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Info Products: I created a budget template and a food prep planner. They sell for fifteen dollars, and I sell dozens per month. That's another thousand to fifteen hundred.
One-on-One Coaching: People wanting to start pay me to show them how. I offer private coaching for $200 hourly. I do about 5-10 a month.
Overall monthly earnings: Typically, I'm making $10,000-15,000 per month now. It varies, some are less. It's up and down, which is nerve-wracking when you're the only income source. But it's 3x what I made at my old job, and I'm present.
The Struggles Nobody Mentions
It looks perfect online until you're losing it because a video didn't perform, or dealing with nasty DMs from internet trolls.
The hate comments are real. I've been mom-shamed, told I'm using my children, questioned about being a solo parent. A commenter wrote, "No wonder he left." That one destroyed me.
The algorithm shifts. One week you're getting millions of views. Then suddenly, you're struggling for views. Your income goes up and down. You're always creating, 24/7, worried that if you take a break, you'll lose relevance.
The mom guilt is worse to the extreme. Everything I share, I wonder: Am I sharing too much? Am I doing right by them? Will they resent this when they're teenagers? I have non-negotiables—protected identities, nothing too personal, protecting their dignity. But the line is not always clear.
The burnout is real. Some weeks when I don't want to film anything. When I'm touched out, talked out, and just done. But life doesn't stop. So I push through.
The Beautiful Parts
But here's the thing—despite the hard parts, this journey has created things I never expected.
Financial stability for the first time ever. I'm not loaded, but I cleared $18K. I have an emergency fund. We took a actual vacation last summer—Disney World, which I never thought possible two years ago. I don't panic about money anymore.
Flexibility that's priceless. When my boy was sick last month, I didn't have to use PTO or worry about money. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a school thing, I attend. I'm available in ways I couldn't be with a normal job.
Community that saved me. The other creators I've met, especially other single parents, have become real friends. We talk, collaborate, have each other's backs. My followers have become this family. They hype me up, support me, and validate me.
Me beyond motherhood. After years, I have something for me. I'm more than an ex or someone's mom. I'm a business owner. A businesswoman. Someone who created this.
Advice for Aspiring Creators
If you're a single mother thinking about this, listen up:
Just start. Your first videos will be awful. Mine did. That's okay. You grow through creating, not by overthinking.
Authenticity wins. People can spot fake. Share your actual life—the messy, imperfect, chaotic reality. That's what connects.
Prioritize their privacy. Establish boundaries. Know your limits. Their privacy is everything. I protect their names, minimize face content, and keep private things private.
Build multiple income streams. Don't put all eggs in one basket or one revenue source. The algorithm is unpredictable. Multiple streams = safety.
Batch your content. When you have free time, record several. Tomorrow you will thank yourself when you're drained.
Connect with followers. Respond to comments. Answer DMs. Create connections. Your community is crucial.
Analyze performance. Time is money. If something requires tons of time and tanks while something else takes very little time and gets massive views, change tactics.
Take care of yourself. You matter too. Take breaks. Protect your peace. Your wellbeing matters most.
Give it time. This takes time. It took me months to make decent money. Year one, I made maybe $15,000 total. Year two, eighty grand. Year three, I'm making six figures. It's a process.
Stay connected to your purpose. On bad days—and there are many—think about your why. For me, it's financial freedom, time with my children, and validating that I'm capable of more than I thought possible.
Being Real With You
Real talk, I'm telling the truth. Content creation as a single mom is challenging. Like, really freaking hard. You're running a whole business while being the lone caretaker of children who require constant attention.
There are days I wonder what I'm doing. Days when the nasty comments affect me. Days when I'm exhausted and stressed and asking myself if I should just get a "normal" job with insurance.
But then suddenly my daughter tells me she's proud that I work from home. Or I see financial progress. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I understand the impact.
My Future Plans
A few years back, I was terrified and clueless what to do. Currently, I'm a content creator making triple what I earned in my old job, and I'm there for my kids.
My goals for the future? Hit 500,000 followers by year-end. Begin podcasting for single moms. Possibly write a book. Expand this business that supports my family.
Content creation gave me a second chance when I needed it most. It gave me a way to feed my babies, show up, and accomplish something incredible. It's not the path I expected, but it's perfect.
To any single parent considering this: You absolutely can. It will be challenging. You'll consider quitting. But you're managing the hardest job in the world—parenting solo. You're powerful.
Start messy. Stay consistent. Prioritize yourself. And know this, you're not just surviving—you're building something incredible.
Gotta go now, I need to go record a video about another last-minute project and nobody told me until now. Because that's this life—chaos becomes content, one post at a time.
No cap. Being a single mom creator? It's worth it. Despite there's definitely crumbs in my keyboard. Dream life, mess included.