Earning from home as a stay-at-home parent
You need work you can pick up and put down. That rules out anything with fixed hours, and it makes you a target for work-from-home scams.
What fits around children
| Way | Why it fits | What it really pays |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy | Make things in your own time | About $17.65 from a $20 US sale, before costs (our sum) |
| Print on demand | No stock at home | Your price less the base price and fees |
| Virtual assistant | Admin work you can schedule | No official rate. US employed median $22.86 an hour |
| Amazon KDP | Write in small blocks of time | 35% or 70% on ebooks |
| Prolific studies | Short and flexible | Studies must pay at least $8 an hour, when they fit you |
Time is the real cost
Our side income calculator shows what your hours leave after fees and tax. Only paid hours count, so be honest about the time spent finding work.
Before you pay anyone
- The FTC says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
- An offer that has you deposit a cheque and send some money on is a scam, the FTC says.
- A message you did not ask for, promising easy work, is how task scams begin.
Read next
Way to earnVOLTIX referral program60% of the full price, every renewalGuideSeniorsGuideNo money to startGuideNo experienceSee allWhat works in your countrySee allTruth checks
Sources
- Etsy Help: fee basics, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Etsy Help: payment processing fees, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Printful pricing, checked 5 Nov 2026
- O*NET (US Department of Labor): Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Kindle Direct Publishing: eBook royalties, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Prolific: minimum payment rate, checked 5 Nov 2026
- FTC: job scams, checked 5 Nov 2026