Holiday gift guide: Best WAHM gifts

Chances are, you know a work at home mom: Almost a third of moms in the US do not work outside the home, and if the number of mom friends selling leggings, face wash and children’s books is any indication, a good chunk of these work at home (including me!). And I can guarantee these mamas could use a thoughtful present this holiday—that’s why I pulled together a list of the best WAHM gifts to spoil the working moms on your Christmas list.

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Working at home is tough—but rewarding

I’ve talked a bit about how I work at home before. I’m a full-time freelance writer, earning an income via a mix of magazine, web site and corporate philanthropy writing gigs. I love that I didn’t have to give up my career, and I still see my girls throughout the day. My job is flexible (one big plus for many WAHMs) so I can take kids to doctor appointments and drop off Peeper at preschool, breastfeed Kiwi and kiss especially bad booboos.

But like anything, the benefits of working at home are balanced out by its challenges.

When I make my tea, grab my laptop and head downstairs to my office, the girls cry. Kiwi clutches the bars of the baby gate and reaches out to me, tears dripping down her chubby cheeks.

(Cue the knife through my heart.)

WAHMs deserve the best WAHM gifts

The work at home moms you know, then, could certainly use a thoughtful gift that is both practical and conveys that you really see her. These gifts show an understanding of what working at home is like. Yes, videoconferencing in to a call while wearing sweat pants is awesome (and something I do on the regular, shh!), but trying to power through emails while your kids are screaming for you upstairs is heartbreaking.

So if there’s a work at home mom lucky enough to be on your Christmas shopping list this year, get her one of these best WAHM gifts. She may not have time to write you an actual thank you card, but her grateful smile will say it all.

The 10 best WAHM gifts, picked by a work at home mom

1. Caffeinate greatly. We all have a bunch of coffee cups. But does your favorite work at home mom have a mug that celebrates how bad-ass she really is? Say it with this #girlboss mug, from Etsy seller Small Glow, or this She Believed She Could So She Did mug.
2. Time to get away. We all want a 25th hour, but WAHMs really could use a little extra time. So offer yourself a few hours—to watch the kids so she can go to a movie or just sit at the cafe by herself for a while, or to help her organize that stack of preschooler artwork. Write your promise in a pretty card, then don’t leave before you have scheduled that time in her calendar. (It’ll forever go unclaimed otherwise.)
3. Write on. Work can be tough, but pretty pens can make it a tad easier. Plus, it’s even more satisfying knocking down a to-do list when you get to cross off the items with bright colors! I use Triplus Fineliners. 
4. Picture this. WAHMs know it’s hard to balance a job with family life; even though they’re at home, they don’t get to see their kids as often as they’d like. Give them a picture frame so they can see a photo of their biggest cheerleaders even when they’re on a never-ending conference call.
5. Words to live by. The best of us get discouraged sometimes, including WAHM superheroes. That’s why pretty, inspirational sayings are a must for any home office. Some examples I love: “Be humble, be smart and rule the world,” “What if I fall?” and “You Got This.”
6. Get her covered. Quiz: A WAHM’s house is on fire. What does she grab first? (After the kids and dog, of course.) Answer: her laptop. Make sure her most prized possession is styled so right with a laptop cover. I’m obsessed with the Brik Book Build-On cover, which lets kids (or moms!) build Lego creations right on your computer. I’m also a big fan of the decals from Etsy seller VinylTechWorks, who makes a fantastic Darth Vader decal. (After all, the force is strong with every work at home mom.)
7. Neck and neck. Juggling work, family and being a total boss in every way is sure hard on the shoulders, so of course my list of best WAHM gifts includes a neck-warming pillow. But forget the rice in an old tube sock hack; every girl boss needs an insanely adorable fox neck-warming pillow.
8. Deck out her desk. So a WAHM’s desk might be the kitchen table, but it could still use a hilarious but true desk sign, like this one: “I’m not bossy, I am the boss.”
9. To-crush list. Work at home moms tackle to-do lists like it’s their job—because, well, it is. Give your fave WAHM a notepad that celebrates her bad assery, like this one, my favorite: a Feminist with a To Do List notepad from Wildfang.
10. Quiet coyotes. Sometimes work at home moms have to bust out a deadline even when the kids are perfecting their ukulele-xylophone duet, so noise canceling headphones are clutch.

What did I miss? If you’re a work at home mom, what’s on YOUR best WAHM gift list?