Work at Home Parent - History

History

The concept of the WAHP has been around for as long as small businesses have. In pre-industrial societies, merchants and artisans often worked out of or close to their homes. Children typically remained in the care of a parent during the day and were often present while the parents worked. Societal changes in the 1800s, such as compulsory education and the Industrial Revolution, made working from home with children around less common.

Entrepreneurship saw a resurgence in the 1980s, with more of an emphasis on work-life balance. Among the long-traditional groups of WAHPs are those professionals in private practice with home offices such as physicians, therapists, music teachers and tutors. The term WAHP began gaining popularity in the late 1990s especially as the growth of the Internet allowed for small business owners and entrepreneurs to have greater options for starting and running their businesses. By 2004, over 20 million people worked at home at least part time (either as business owners or in a formal arrangement with their employer), many of whom were parents. In 2008, a digital magazine was established by a WAHM with a decade of experience in the publications field specifically for work-at-home parents. The WAHM Magazine was designed to address the issues of the complete lifestyle of work-at-home parents regardless of field or industry and has a mission to validate, empower, encourage, educate and support WAHPs in their personal, professional and lifestyle goals. And the end of the first decade of the 21st century, telecommuting is becoming a greater option for companies and employees alike for a variety of economic and environmental concerns.