Having small children can be a challenge on it's own merit, let alone trying to work a home business as well around that young person or persons. Talk about tricky trying to make phone calls while you can, hoping that your child/ren doesn't notice you missing for a few minutes or trying to write an email that makes some sort of sense whilst being interupted each time you start a new sentence.
Just when you think you are safe and can sneak off to make a call or two because you have fed your kids and set them up in front of a DVD for a hopeful hour of distraction, the wheels fall off and something happens and the power goes off or something. There goes those phone calls for now.
Then there's the times when you have had a relatively stressful but productive morning and you leave your office for a bit of a breather to go and do something else, only to return to that little person of yours sitting comfortably in your office chair graffitiing your desk and it's contents with a permanent marker. And that's only what you can so far see! Hold your breath and count to ten, you tell yourself.
It can certainly be a pretty trying task to a stay at home mum or dad, trying to work a business from home and keep your young kids fed, entertained and happy. Not every day can always be predictable and go to plan. You can wake up feeling really productive and feel that you are going to have a great day ahead and achieve a whole load of things, until you discover one of your kids has woken up really unwell. Then you know very little is going to be achieved today, other than a visit to the doctor, followed by a visit to the pharmacy then a very unhappy little one attached to you for the rest of the day.
Some days can be tougher than others and on those days I really have to remind myself of why I am working from home in the first place. Wasn't it to spend more time with my children? That's often when I will leave my office for a few hours, put the kids in the car and go and do something fun that the kids and I will enjoy. There will be plenty of time for work later.
My advice to anyone in the same situation is try to pick your days that you will work and those that you will take your kids out of the house and go and do something fun that your kids and yourself will enjoy. Wait until your child/children are in bed for a nap or for the night and get some quality work done without distraction or guilt. Find a friend that you can do a swap and have their kids one or two days and they can have yours in return. It's amazing how much work you may be able to get done on those days when your kids are being cared for.
Don't feel guilty if you really need a break and turn to childcare one or two days a week because you don't have a support network. Everybody needs a break at some stage and in most cases you will find it is actually a positive experience for both parent and child to have a break from one another. Quite often the child/ren really thrive on the experience of childcare, meeting new friends and doing new activities can be very stimulating for them and sometimes they can't always get that outside of daycare.
Hopefully by sharing this article, others in home based business or thinking about entering the home based business entity, will consider a few things I had to say. Maybe it will help you to feel that you are not the only ones who struggles every now and again to maintain a work and home balance in your life.
If you would like to join a global organisation that supports Work From Home Parents, visit this website for more information.
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