Returning to work and putting little ones in daycare can feel impossible. For most of history, mothers were the primary caregivers at home while fathers provided outside. Fast-forward through the industrial era and into today’s inflation, and one income often isn’t enough. The choice looks brutal: your baby or your paycheck.
But maybe it isn’t a binary. For centuries, mothers found small, local ways to earn without abandoning presence. The form changed; the idea didn’t.
1) Mothers have always had side income
Picture a village a thousand years ago: men plow, trade, or hunt; mothers run the home—and the micro-economy. Vegetable patches, fruit trees, herbs, spinning, sewing, eggs from backyard hens—sold at the market for steady, quiet cash. The father’s duty to provide stayed real; the mother’s contribution wasn’t zero. It was simply nearby and flexible.
The lesson isn’t nostalgia. It’s a pattern: care + craft = household resilience.
2) Eggs and gardens—upgraded for the 21st century
Most of us can’t keep chickens in the backyard. But we do have something easier: a laptop and a community.
- Your mosque, playgroup, WhatsApp circles, and school pickup line are a ready-made network.
- Social platforms let you reach people in minutes—no half-mile walks to a neighbor’s farm.
- Payments, delivery, and customer lists live on your phone.
We were trained to consume value. Nobody taught us we could create and share it—ethically, in small, family-safe ways. A micro-business doesn’t have to be loud or huge; it just has to be useful.
One of the simplest starters? Selling children’s storybooks you believe in. Parents spend for their kids. Books are safe, educational, and the price of a meal. When a story helps a child ask better questions about faith and life, families come back for more.
3) Build a side income and stay present
If you love stories and reading with kids, here’s a gentle path:
- Read our eBooks first. Make sure the style, values, and visuals feel right to you.
- Share previews with your circle (moms’ group, weekend school, family chat). Let them explore at home.
- Take pre-orders so you’re never stuck with stock.
- Place a bundle with us at a discount, deliver locally, and wave to your customers at Jumu‘ah instead of clocking into a cubicle.
You choose when to work and when to pause. Some months you lean into it; other months you coast. That’s the point: time is sometimes worth more than money, and presence with your kids is wealth no salary can replace.
Want to partner with us?
Want to partner with us so we help you in your journey to get started? Read our eBooks first—see if you like them and enjoy the style—then drop us a line.