5 Side Hustle Ideas For Working Parents In 2024

Working parents constitute a major proportion of the workforce in the United States. And that number is steadily on the incline. In fact, research data from the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics reveals that in 2022, the percentage of mothers and fathers in the workforce or looking for work increased, leading to a 1.6 percentage point reduction in unemployment for both parents.

While this can certainly be viewed as positive sign, it presents one critical problem:

Despite working parents needing their jobs for themselves and their families to live on, balancing the demands of their professional lives in hopes they can adequately support themselves financially and combat rising costs—while also wholeheartedly dedicating time for their children—is proving to be quite the conundrum.

To add to the situation, many working parents are facing uncertainty due to mass layoffs, or financial upheavals within their organizations that threaten to impact their jobs.

This makes it essential to have a side hustle so that you can effectively bounce should the rug be pulled from under you at your place of work. Although it may be tough, diversifying your income sources and maintaining a stream of income outside of your job can help you, at the very least, to pay the bills and maintain a decent standard of living while searching for your next role.

One distinct advantage of having a side hustle as a parent within the workforce is that you are able to secure an extra pool of money to offset expenses such as child care costs, savings for your children’s educational future, and healthcare emergencies. Another unique benefit of side hustles is that they offer a degree of flexibility around your family and work commitments, and give you a break away from your job where you can pursue your interests and passions a network with others while being able to maintain an active presence in your children’s lives.

And should the time ever come when you decide to leave your job altogether in pursuit of being a more hands-on parent, at least you will already have an existing hustle that you can leverage and scale to create full-time income.

While there is certainly an endless list of side hustles that one could pursue, not all are suitable for everyone, and some are best suited depending on your circumstances. For instance, being a busy working parent means that you would likely have less free time available to even consider pursuing a side hustle.

But there are still a few you can consider, which are not as time-consuming as others, such as:

1. Babysitting/Childcare

You most likely know all too well the struggle of trying to find appropriate child care so you can concentrate on work. At the same time, you know what it takes to entertain and care for little ones, so why not put your existing skills to work? Offer after-school babysitting or childcare services at your home during the evening or on weekends. Not only will you make extra money, but this side hustle fits seamlessly into your schedule and your kids will have the opportunity for regular play dates, so it’s a win-win all around.

2. Online Zumbini

You may have heard of zumba, but what about Zumbini? Zumbini is zumba for parents or caregivers and toddlers, which combines music, dance and educational tools for early childhood development in a fun exercise session. You can register for and receive on-demand virtual training to become a Zumbini instructor, and then become certified and teach others.

You can teach the classes in a live setting, perhaps offering services in your child’s school gymnasium, or you can host them virtually and attract more clients while spending quality time with your toddler.

3. Selling Stock Photos

If you naturally have a knack for taking exceptional quality photos of food, lifestyle, buildings, nature, or anything else, you might want to consider licencing your photos as stock photos on marketplaces such as Shutterstock or iStock Photo. All you need is a very good camera, and these days, especially with a modern smartphone, that’s not hard to come by. This can be a great way to earn passive income with minimal encroachment on your already hectic schedule.

4. Renting Out Items

You may not realize it but you likely have many valuable items that you’ve accumulated over the years which are in demand, and you can make passive income by renting these items. Some examples of rentals that people would gladly pay for include:

• Electric and mountain bikes
• Your driveway
• Your car
• A spare room in your home
• Expensive designer clothes
• Baby items you no longer use
• Musical instruments
• Garden equipment

You can promote these items on rental platforms such as BabyQuip (for baby gear), Fat Llama (for almost everything) and FriendWithA for cameras, instruments, electronics, equipment, sports gear, and even game consoles.

5. YouTube Channel

Recording and uploading short educational or entertaining videos to YouTube is a great way to boost your income while enjoying a hobby. In fact your entire YouTube channel can revolve around your hobby, and you can use it to share tips and tricks for making the most out of it.

For instance, if you love baking, you could create an entire channel dedicated to how to bake different recipes and talk about the equipment and utensils you use. You can make a considerable income through this as your follower count grows, and you can also share affiliate links so that people can purchase the products advertised in the video, while you receive a cut.

With these five side hustle ideas, there is no reason to be tied down to one source of income—your job—alone. As a busy professional parent, you can still reap the benefits of financial freedom, while spending quality time with your family, and at the same time explore your interests.