Here's the tea, motherhood is not for the weak. But here's the thing? Attempting to make some extra cash while handling toddlers and their chaos.
This whole thing started for me about three years ago when I had the epiphany that my Target runs were way too frequent. It was time to get cash that was actually mine.
The Virtual Assistant Life
Okay so, my first gig was doing VA work. And real talk? It was exactly what I needed. It let me hustle while the kids slept, and all I needed was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.
My first tasks were easy things like email sorting, posting on social media, and data entry. Pretty straightforward. I started at about fifteen to twenty bucks hourly, which felt cheap but when you don't know what you're doing yet, you gotta start somewhere.
Here's what was wild? Picture this: me on a video meeting looking completely put together from the chest up—blazer, makeup, the works—while rocking my rattiest leggings. Main character energy.
My Etsy Journey
After a year, I ventured into the Etsy world. Everyone and their mother seemed to sell stuff on Etsy, so I figured "why not join the party?"
I began crafting digital planners and home decor prints. What's great about digital products? One and done creation, and it can sell forever. Actually, I've gotten orders at midnight when I'm unconscious.
The first time someone bought something? I lost my mind. My husband thought the house was on fire. Nope—just me, doing a happy dance for my five dollar sale. Judge me if you want.
The Content Creation Grind
Next I got into creating content online. This venture is definitely a slow burn, trust me on this.
I started a family lifestyle blog where I documented my parenting journey—everything unfiltered. Not the highlight reel. Simply real talk about surviving tantrums in Target.
Building up views was slow. At the beginning, it was basically writing for myself and like three people. But I stayed consistent, and eventually, things began working.
Currently? I make money through affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, and display ads. Recently I generated over two thousand dollars from my website. Insane, right?
SMM Side Hustle
When I became good with running my own socials, local businesses started asking if I could help them.
Truth bomb? A lot of local businesses are terrible with social media. They know they need to be there, but they're too busy.
This is my moment. I now manage social media for several small companies—a bakery, a boutique, and a fitness studio. I create content, plan their posting schedule, respond to comments, and monitor performance.
I charge between five hundred to a thousand dollars per month per account, depending on how much work is involved. Best part? I do this work from my iPhone.
Writing for Money
For the wordy folks, freelancing is where it's at. Not like literary fiction—I mean business content.
Websites and businesses always need writers. I've written articles about everything from dental hygiene to copyright. You just need to research, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
Generally make between fifty and two hundred per article, depending on what's involved. On good months I'll write ten to fifteen pieces and make a couple thousand dollars.
What's hilarious: I was that student who barely passed English class. And now I'm earning a living writing. Life's funny like that.
Tutoring Online
When COVID hit, virtual tutoring became huge. With my teaching background, so this was an obvious choice.
I joined various tutoring services. The scheduling is flexible, which is absolutely necessary when you have tiny humans who throw curveballs daily.
I mainly help with basic subjects. Rates vary from $15-$25/hour depending on the company.
The awkward part? Sometimes my own kids will crash my tutoring session mid-session. I've had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. The families I work with are very sympathetic because they understand mom life.
The Reselling Game
Okay, this one wasn't planned. While organizing my kids' things and put some things on various apps.
They sold so fast. I suddenly understood: you can sell literally anything.
These days I visit estate sales and thrift shops, on the hunt for good brands. I grab something for $3 and sell it for $30.
It's definitely work? Yes. You're constantly listing and shipping. But I find it rewarding about discovering a diamond in the rough at a garage sale and making profit.
Bonus: the kids think it's neat when I bring home interesting finds. Recently I discovered a rare action figure that my son went crazy for. Got forty-five dollars for it. Mom for the win.
The Honest Reality
Let me keep it real: this stuff requires effort. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
Some days when I'm completely drained, questioning my life choices. I'm working before sunrise being productive before the madness begins, then being a full-time parent, then back to work after everyone's in bed.
But here's what matters? That money is MINE. No permission needed to get the good coffee. I'm helping with our household income. I'm teaching my children that women can hustle.
Advice for New Mom Hustlers
If you're thinking about a side hustle, here are my tips:
Begin with something manageable. Don't try to launch everything simultaneously. Focus on one and become proficient before expanding.
Use the time you have. Whatever time you have, that's totally valid. A couple of productive hours is a great beginning.
Comparison is the thief of joy to Instagram moms. That mom with the six-figure side hustle? They put in years of work and has resources you don't see. Do your thing.
Spend money on education, but smartly. You don't need expensive courses. Avoid dropping thousands on courses until you've tested the waters.
Batch your work. I learned this the hard way. Dedicate time blocks for different things. Monday might be content creation day. Make Wednesday handling business stuff.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
Let me be honest—the mom guilt is real. Certain moments when I'm working and my kid wants attention, and I hate it.
However I consider that I'm teaching them what dedication looks like. I'm demonstrating to my children that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.
And honestly? Earning independently has improved my mental health. I'm more content, which makes me more patient.
Income Reality Check
How much do I earn? On average, combining everything, I make $3,000-5,000 per month. Some months are lower, some are tougher.
Will this make you wealthy? Not really. But this money covers so many things we needed that would've caused financial strain. And it's creating opportunities and skills that could grow into more.
Wrapping This Up
Listen, doing this mom hustle thing isn't easy. It's not a perfect balance. Most days I'm flying by the seat of my pants, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and praying it all works out.
But I'm glad I'm doing this. Every penny made is a testament to my hustle. It demonstrates that I have identity beyond motherhood.
If you're thinking about starting a side hustle? Go for it. Start before it's perfect. Your future self will thank you.
Don't forget: You're not merely getting by—you're building something. Even though there's probably Goldfish crackers stuck to your laptop.
For real. This mom hustle life is the life, despite the chaos.
Surviving to Thriving: My Journey as a Single Mom
Here's the truth—single motherhood wasn't on my vision board. I also didn't plan on building a creator business. But here we are, three years into this wild journey, supporting my family by being vulnerable on the internet while raising two kids basically solo. And real talk? It's been the most terrifying, empowering, and unexpected blessing of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Fell Apart
It was three years ago when my divorce happened. I can still picture sitting in my bare apartment (he took the couch, I got the kids' art projects), scrolling mindlessly at 2am while my kids were passed out. I had barely $850 in my bank account, two humans depending on me, and a salary that was a joke. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to distract myself from the anxiety—because that's how we cope? in crisis mode, right?—when I came across this woman discussing how she paid off $30,000 in debt through making videos. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."
But desperation makes you brave. Maybe both. Often both.
I grabbed the TikTok app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, venting about how I'd just put my last twelve dollars on a dinosaur nuggets and snacks for my kids' school lunches. I posted it and immediately regretted it. Who gives a damn about this disaster?
Plot twist, thousands of people.
That video got nearly 50,000 views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me nearly cry over $12 worth of food. The comments section became this unexpected source of support—other single moms, others barely surviving, all saying "this is my life." That was my lightbulb moment. People didn't want the highlight reel. They wanted real.
My Brand Evolution: The Honest Single Parent Platform
Here's the secret about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? It found me. I became the real one.
I started sharing the stuff nobody talks about. Like how I didn't change pants for days because executive dysfunction is real. Or when I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner three nights in a row and called it "cereal week." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked about the divorce, and I had to have big conversations to a kid who is six years old.
My content was raw. My lighting was terrible. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was authentic, and evidently, that's what hit.
Within two months, I hit 10K. 90 days in, 50,000. By six months, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone blew my mind. Real accounts who wanted to listen to me. Plain old me—a struggling single mom who had to Google "what is a content creator" months before.
The Actual Schedule: Content Creation Meets Real Life
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 screams. I do want to throw my phone, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that I'll forget about, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a GRWM discussing financial reality. Sometimes it's me cooking while venting about dealing with my ex. The lighting is whatever natural light comes through my kitchen window.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation pauses. Now I'm in parent mode—cooking eggs, locating lost items (why is it always one shoe), packing lunches, breaking up sibling fights. The chaos is real.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom filming at red lights in the car. Don't judge me, but the grind never stops.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my work block. Kids are at school. I'm editing videos, replying to DMs, ideating, pitching brands, looking at stats. People think content creation is only filming. Wrong. It's a entire operation.
I usually create multiple videos on certain days. That means shooting multiple videos in a few hours. I'll change shirts between videos so it looks like different days. Pro tip: Keep several shirts ready for quick changes. My neighbors think I've lost it, recording myself alone in the driveway.
3:00pm: Picking them up. Back to parenting. But this is where it's complicated—many times my top performing content come from real life. Last week, my daughter had a complete meltdown in Target because I couldn't afford a forty dollar toy. I created a video in the Target parking lot later about managing big emotions as a single mom. It got millions of views.
Evening: Dinner, homework, bath time, bedtime routines. I'm completely exhausted to create anything, but I'll queue up posts, check DMs, or strategize. Certain nights, after everyone's sleeping, I'll stay up editing because a partnership is due.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just organized chaos with some victories.
The Money Talk: How I Really Earn Money
Look, let's talk dollars because this is what everyone's curious about. Can you really earn income as a content creator? 100%. Is it easy? Nope.
My first month, I made nothing. Second month? Still nothing. Third month, I got my first collaboration—$150 to promote a meal delivery. I actually cried. That one-fifty paid for groceries.
Today, three years later, here's how I monetize:
Sponsored Content: This is my primary income. I work with brands that make sense—things that help, single-parent resources, kids' stuff. I charge anywhere from five hundred to several thousand per deal, depending on what they need. Just last month, I did four partnerships and made $8K.
Platform Payments: Creator fund pays basically nothing—$200-$400 per month for tons of views. YouTube money is better. I make about $1,500 monthly from YouTube, but that took two years to build up.
Affiliate Marketing: I share affiliate links to stuff I really use—anything from my favorite coffee maker to the bunk beds I bought. If someone clicks and buys, I get a percentage. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Downloadables: I created a money management guide and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell fifty to a hundred per month. That's another over a thousand dollars.
Consulting Services: Aspiring influencers pay me to show them how. I offer one-on-one coaching sessions for two hundred per hour. I do about 5-10 per month.
Overall monthly earnings: Most months, I'm making $10-15K per month at this point. Some months are higher, some are lower. It's variable, which is nerve-wracking when you're the only income source. But it's triple what I made at my corporate job, and I'm home when my kids need me.
The Struggles Nobody Shows You
This sounds easy until you're losing it because a post got no views, or handling hate comments from strangers who think they know your life.
The negativity is intense. I've been accused of being a bad mother, told I'm using my children, told I'm fake about being a single mom. Someone once commented, "I'd leave too." That one hurt so bad.
The platform changes. Sometimes you're getting viral hits. Then suddenly, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income goes up and down. You're always creating, always working, afraid to pause, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is amplified times a thousand. Every video I post, I wonder: Is this appropriate? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they resent this when they're grown? I have non-negotiables—no faces of my kids without permission, no sharing their private stuff, no embarrassing content. But the line is not always clear.
The I get burnt out. Sometimes when I am empty. When I'm depleted, over it, and totally spent. But life doesn't stop. So I do it anyway.
The Wins
But here's the thing—despite the hard parts, this journey has blessed me with things I never expected.
Economic stability for the first damn time. I'm not a millionaire, but I paid off $18,000 in debt. I have an safety net. We took a family trip last summer—Disney, which felt impossible a couple years back. I don't check my bank account with anxiety anymore.
Flexibility that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to stress about missing work or lose income. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a school event, I'm present. I'm in their lives in ways I wasn't with a normal job.
Support that saved me. The other influencers I've met, especially solo parents, the article mentioned have become true friends. We connect, help each other, support each other. My followers have become this beautiful community. They hype me up, support me, and show me I'm not alone.
Me beyond motherhood. Since becoming a mom, I have something that's mine. I'm not just an ex or just a mom. I'm a CEO. A content creator. Someone who made it happen.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're a single parent considering content creation, here's my advice:
Begin now. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. Everyone starts there. You grow through creating, not by procrastinating.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can spot fake. Share your true life—the mess. That resonates.
Protect your kids. Set limits. Decide what you will and won't share. Their privacy is the priority. I never share their names, limit face shots, and never discuss anything that could embarrass them.
Diversify income streams. Spread it out or a single source. The algorithm is fickle. Multiple streams = safety.
Create in batches. When you have available time, create multiple pieces. Future you will be grateful when you're too exhausted to create.
Connect with followers. Engage. Respond to DMs. Be real with them. Your community is crucial.
Track your time and ROI. Be strategic. If something requires tons of time and flops while something else takes no time and gets massive views, adjust your strategy.
Self-care matters. You matter too. Rest. Create limits. Your wellbeing matters most.
This takes time. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me half a year to make real income. My first year, I made maybe $15,000 total. Year 2, $80K. Now, I'm hitting six figures. It's a long game.
Know your why. On tough days—and they happen—think about your why. For me, it's financial freedom, flexibility with my kids, and validating that I'm capable of more than I thought possible.
Being Real With You
Listen, I'm telling the truth. Content creation as a single mom is tough. Incredibly hard. You're basically running a business while being the single caregiver of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Many days I second-guess this. Days when the negativity affect me. Days when I'm completely spent and asking myself if I should get a regular job with benefits and a steady paycheck.
But then my daughter says she's proud that I work from home. Or I see my bank account actually has money in it. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I understand the impact.
What's Next
A few years back, I was scared and struggling what to do. Fast forward, I'm a content creator making more money than I ever did in my old job, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals going forward? Hit 500K by December. Begin podcasting for solo parents. Possibly write a book. Continue building this business that supports my family.
This journey gave me a lifeline when I had nothing. It gave me a way to feed my babies, be available, and build something real. It's not the path I expected, but it's perfect.
To every single mom out there thinking about starting: You absolutely can. It will be hard. You'll struggle. But you're handling the toughest gig—doing this alone. You're tougher than you realize.
Begin messy. Stay consistent. Keep your boundaries. And remember, you're more than just surviving—you're creating something amazing.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go make a video about another last-minute project and surprise!. Because that's the reality—making content from chaos, one video at a time.
Seriously. This journey? It's everything. Even though there might be Goldfish crackers all over my desk. That's the dream, chaos and all.