For many moms juggling a full-time job and a hectic home life, working at home seems like an unreachable fantasy. They imagine days working in sweat suits, being at their children's beck and call, cooking hot dinners on a regular basis and discussing important business strategies via e-mail while the little ones quietly watch a Barney video.

The good news? Working from home is definitely a reachable goal. In fact, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, approximately one-fifth of all working mothers with children younger than 18 worked part time or full time from home.

The bad news? The fantasy is just that, and the realities of working at home include some major drawbacks. However, most work-at-home moms (WAHMs) agree that the payoff -- the ability to contribute financially to the family while being a "hands-on" parent to their children -- makes navigating the problems worthwhile.

Former teacher Cheryl Duksta of Buda, Texas returned to her teaching position when daughter Alison, now 3, was 4 months old. "I decided to work at home because I had a hard time juggling my teaching career and the demands of an infant," says Duksta. "My school and the kids there needed more than I could give at the time."

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