How do you do it with kids?

desertmom · **How do you do it with kids?**

How do you manage to actually work your business, either while networking out in public, or just doing office work at home, with kids underfoot?

KathrynHannah · 06-03-2008, 07:02 AM

I was just talking to dh about this last night. It's hard! I know I'm blessed to work from home but come summer ... things go downhill fast and my kids are old enough to entertain themselves for bits of time. I was asked yesterday to travel to a 4 day event. I can't go. I don't get paid enough to hire a nanny for the week and they are too young to be left alone. My dh works in another city during the week. I want to put my family first but work has expectations too. I often feel very torn. I often feel like I'm not really doing a good job at either work or mothering when I'm trying to do them both at the same time.

Up until recently in the summer I'd work from 5-8 am and 8-10 pm and then as much during the day as I can. But now my kids are older and need less sleep and those hours are shot too.

I wish could encourage you more. It can be done but it's hard and you will often feel torn. I've been considering going back to an office job where at least I can work my hours and get my work done then. But then I won't have those special hours after school and in the summer that I love so much. Can you sense the self doubt ...

There are no easy answers.

meme · 06-03-2008, 07:12 AM

Working from home can be a good situation but it's not perfect. I often work from 5:00 - 8:00 am and then again while the kids nap and at night too but it is hard! When it gets frustrating I just think about how impossible it would be to work in an office when the kids are sick. My husband had pneumonia in January and he picked up everything the kids ended up being sick with. We had sick people in this house every week for three months. One of us would have been fired if I didn't work from home!

I get things done in small slices of time and I could never work from home without caller ID and Wi-Fi. I take my laptop all over the house and only take calls from clients when my kids aren't screaming!!

Cookie2 · 06-03-2008, 12:50 PM

DD was very well trained. I used to do a WAH job that required that the caller not know I was at home. Because of that my work environment had to be extremely quiet. Sometimes I'd make DD entertain herself while I worked in 25 minute sprints. Other times she was allowed to come into my office and play on the bed between calls. As soon as the incoming call light came on she knew to be absolutely silent ... or else.

Or else what? Or else I would threaten I'd have to send her to daycare!

To this day I'm pretty sure she doesn't know what daycare is but she is certain it is something she wouldn't like.

Kim · 06-03-2008, 01:33 PM

It is really challenging sometimes. I get up early and work before the kids get up. I am also lucky in that they're old enough to keep themselves busy without direct supervision. Yes, sometimes that means watching TV.

I agree with KathrynHannah, the hardest part for me is when I have to be gone. Since I don't have daycare, I have to patch together care with babysitter, friends, relatives, and asking dh to take time off work.

Also, a lot of my "free" time is eaten up by work. Sometimes the only time to get things done is in the evening when dh is home to watch them; or on the weekends. It can sometimes cut into family time. That's a sacrifice I happily make because I love my work arrangement and wouldn't want it any other way.

Bsteen · 06-03-2008, 01:35 PM

I make just enough that I send DS to a babysitter--it digs pretty deep into my paycheck, but it's still just worth it. There's no WAY I'd get anything done w/ him around. I have to be on the phone for most of my work and I can only work during normal business hours.

beautifulbabies · 06-03-2008, 01:38 PM

I work from home, but only a couples hours a day. Lately I have been waking up before the kids, about 7:00 am, because the puppy wakes me up. It's a nice quiet time to get some work done. I usually check email throughout the day and work a little when the kids are watching a show or playing on the computer. I also sometimes bring my laptop outside so I can watch the kids while they play. I have been trying really hard not to work at all at night so I can have time with my husband and the kids but sometimes I will work while I watch a show. It takes forever to get anything ton but it's more enjoyable.

SCMomOfTwo · 06-03-2008, 02:39 PM

Last summer, for the first time ever, I enrolled my kids in a summer recreation program. They were only there 2 to 3 days per week until 3:00 so I could go to work. They hated it. So, this year, I decided to quit that job and work contractually from home for multiple clients. I love it!

This summer will be the test though. My kids will be 11 and 9, so they can entertain themselves pretty well as long as they're getting along

They understand that I quit the job so I could be home with them, but that I'll still have some work to do. So far, they are very, very willing to do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

In the summer, they sleep in, so I can work in the mornings. And, with well-planned playdates, I usually buy myself some time. I've also found that if I promise to do "something fun" with them when I'm finished with my work task, they usually don't disturb me. The key is to follow through on my promise.

ember15 · 06-05-2008, 10:21 AM

I too have my internest time before the kids.
Haven't got a buisiness up yet but the idea is appealing because I do have a network because I am a SAHM.
I have my groups, 2 knitting 2 scrapbooks, Several on line,1 fitness, 4 moms groups and what it means is that I know people. People who might know the right people. Because many of these activites are things I do With my kids. There is no reason you can't network. Sending a note to those in just my moms group would reach about 400 people who might know someone who is interested in my product or work.