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Operating a home business is seldom
easy and interruptions come in all shapes, sizes and forms.
Between the family, friends and neighbors who
call or come by, and the telemarketers who insist on ringing your
number off the hook, getting through the workday can be a real
challenge.
When you introduce children into the home office
environment, your productivity and patience can be seriously tested.
For example, right now my three-year old
daughter is pulling on my shirt and begging me to read her a story.
Clearly, Im in the middle of something important here, but how can I
say no to those eyes? Ill be right back...
Ok, that wasnt so bad was it? Shes happy, Im
happy (having bonded with my daughter) and now Im back to continue my
conversation with you :-) Whats the lesson here? Flexibility is a major
key to balancing your home business priorities with your familys needs.
I can tell you from first-hand experience that
maintaining a deep level of concentration on work in a home business
for long periods of time is next to impossible. Naptime does offer some
reprieve, but any break from the kids is usually short lived.
Even with older children, summertime introduces
new challenges with kids running in and out of the house all throughout
the day.
I would like to share with you some of the tips
I have discovered to help manage your home office with children in your
midst. Since children of different ages pose different challenges, I
will present my tips in terms of age groups.
OLDER CHILDREN AND TEENS
We will look at older children first since they
pose the least challenge to our work productivity.
Children, who are old enough to understand the
idea of schedules and chores, are old enough to understand the needs of
your home business. Explain to your children that you do your work at
home so that you can be near them when they need you. But also be sure
they understand that you must do your work so that you will have the
money necessary to keep your house, feed the family and to provide them
with money for entertainment.
Once your children understand the necessity of
your work, then outline a work schedule and explain it to them. Do make
sure they understand that emergencies are definitely an acceptable
reason to interrupt your work. Then make sure they understand that
between hours x and y, you will be doing work --- and then hold them to
respecting your schedule.
INFANTS
Infants will never understand your needs for
work. But fortunately, babies do well under a schedule or routine.
Instead of expecting your child to work around your schedule, schedule
your work around the needs of your baby.
It is simple. Babies eat, sleep and poop.
Sometimes they play. Fortunately, babies sleep more than they do
anything else.
Naptime offers the best advantage for getting
your work done. Get your baby into a routine of eat, sleep and play,
and you will experience unexpected levels of productivity.
TODDLERS
If you have a toddler running around the house
while you are operating your home business, then you may find that your
hair turning gray or disappearing altogether. But, gray hair is a sign
of character, right. ;-)
I am venturing to guess that the person who
devised the door lock for the inside of the house did so because he had
toddlers in his own home. Inside door locks should only be utilized
when you are making that important phone call and your toddler is
screaming for your attention. At all other times, your door should
remain unlocked with your door open.
Develop a routine with your children for meal
times, naptimes, and play times. Work these times into your work
schedule and adhere to them. If you fail to keep appointments with your
children, your children will have less respect for your work and do
more to prevent you from the completion of your work.
Don`t be afraid to let your children sit in your
lap while you are working. It helps them to feel wanted and it helps
them to be a part of your daily life. There are times when it is okay
for them to be sitting in your lap while you work, and at other times
you need them out of your lap. Don`t be afraid to tell them to get down
and go play or read a book so that you can resume your work.
Permit your children to have their toys in your
office. Often they will sit contently and play while you work. Just
knowing you are near is enough to keep them happy.
Be prepared to take an hourly break to deal with
your toddler. Try to do potty breaks at your hourly break and to do
drink refills. This can help your child grow into a routine that will
work well with your home business. At each break, spend a few minutes
with your child giving hugs and kisses and talking with your child
about what he or she wants to talk about.
Toddlers don`t always do well with the routine,
so be prepared to take a few minutes when needed to give the attention
that your child so desperately needs in the moment.
IN CONCLUSION
I hope these tips serve to help you in the
challenge of operating a successful home business.
My home business permits me to fulfill my
financial obligations *AND* see my children grow up. I would never
contemplate trading my home business for another kind of business. Even
with the added challenges of dealing with toddlers in my home office,
the upsides far outweigh the downsides.
Growing my own home business with children
around has definitely given me a new respect for all people who
successfully run a home business with kids in the work environment. I
tip my hat to you... You deserve it!
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