The Freelancer's Dilemma

The advantages of freelancing: I don't have to follow a set schedule; I don't have to take jobs that I don't want or can't manage; I am my own boss; I can charge what I want and get to keep all of the money I earn (minus the what I get to share with the IRS, of course, though there are some tax benefits).

The reality of freelancing: I work all hours (evenings and weekends); I feel compelled to take any job that comes my way since we could use the money; I have no one to whom I can delegate tasks — if there is work to be done, I've got to do it; I frequently charge less than the market rate since my clients tend to be small business people or non-profits with tiny budgets, and I want to cut them a break (or, often with these clients, charging more = losing out on the job, so I'll choose to charge less).

The aspect of freelancing that I find most incompatible with living simply is being (or at least feeling) on-call. I don't want work to pile up, and I do want to keep my clients happy, so if they need something done I make every effort to do it as soon as possible. As a consequence, I am in a constant state of thinking either "I need to take action x on project y" or "I should check my email to see if I need to take any action on projects x y or z." In addition, my work is sporadic, so I cannot predict from week to week (or sometimes day to day) how many hours I will need to set aside for my projects. I'm sure that some people can handle (or even enjoy) the on-call/irregular work schedule, but I can't say that I love it. It might be different if I wasn't also a full-time mom trying to balance work and parenting. A typical scenario:

Daughter, wanting attention - "Want to read this book?"
Me, trying to catch up on work during the day - "Give me a minute, I just need to finish this one thing..." or some variation on that theme.
D - "Want mom close the computer?" or "Want mom move the computer and sit on your lap?"
M - [sound of my heart breaking]

The alternatives? I could not work at all, but the extra income (albeit small) does make a difference in our ability to save and manage expenses. I could get a regular, part-time job (one with a set schedule and no take-home work), but the hourly pay would probably be much lower than what I can charge as a freelancer, and I would have to put my daughter in daycare, cutting into both my income and my time with my child.

Hence, the dilemma.