Is this wrong

[josi]

Dear wonderfull posters,

Hi I am new here.

I want to pay someone to watch my (small) kids for a few hours a day so I can work. I ask if this is wrong because staying home with my kids was the whole point of starting a bussiness at home.

Thanks
Distracted mom in Arizona

[ImagineThat]

:hello: Josi. I don't think there's anything wrong with being away from your children for a few hours. It's good for moms and children to be away from each other periodically. It gives the children a chance to be a bit more independent and gives mom a break with other adults. I don't think there's any kind of job from home that entails never having to leave home. At some point, office supplies have to be restocked. ;) It's not always possible to have the children along with you then, especially if it involves talking business with other adults.

[josi]

Thanks!

I knew that. I just needed someone to say it.

[ImagineThat]

;) You're welcome. How's it going? What kind of business do you have? Are the kids adjusting to your new venture? I admire any mom who can juggle work and children, especially if the mom is working from home. Right now, I'm juggling a business from home and my granddaughters, ages: 2 1/2 years :blob: and 3 months :flower:.

[josi]

Wow, You are quite the grandma.

I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old, and a 5 month old. I mostly work at night. So I havn't been sleeping much. That is why I want to hire someone to babysit for a while during the day. I work almost compleatly on my cumputer. My 3 year old just wants to push the shiny power butten. Maybe she just wants me to pay attention to her.

[Lori]

It can be really tough sometimes to work efficiently with the kids. And it can be draining to work late into the night when they are asleep!

If you can afford some childcare help, I think that's great. Another idea is to have a mother's helper... maybe a teenage girl afterschool for an hour each day.

[ImagineThat]

:hello: Lori! Nice to meet you.

Josi, is there something your 3 year old enjoys doing for long periods of time (15 - 30 min or more)? Hayley enjoys playdough, coloring and painting with water colors. She also plays for long periods with her Fisher Price Little People. Of course, I also have some of her favorite shows taped. ;) Is your computer near a tv? Is there a small table near your computer for your three year old to use? I think you're right. Children like to be a bit independent and do their own thing but near an adult. ;)

[isamom]

Hi Josi,

I have been feeling the same way for the past year and still haven't done anything about it, lol! When I am away from my kids for short periods of time I think it is good for all of us....we are all so happy to see each other, even after just 2-3 hours apart and feel refreshed. I know how you feel! It is hard sometimes getting quality work time in when your trying to wear so many hats at home. But, building a successful business AND being a stay-at-home parent are both extremely rewarding! :lovey:

I like the idea of having a mother's helper, maybe coming after school hours 2-3 times a week.

Wishing you abundance and prosperity :)

Carrie

[josi]

All good ideas. Maybe she is just bored. I need to structure her time better. And I love that moms helper idea. I would feal better if I could hear what is going on. The complicated part is to find a teen that I tust.

Thanks for all the good ideas.

[ImagineThat]

The complicated part is to find a teen that I tust. Check with your local high school. When I worked for an after-school daycare program, we called the high school for referrals to work as assistants. We were very pleased. Some high schools have babysitting courses. The senior guidance counselor would likely be the one to help you.
Also, if your neighborhood has a homeowners association, you might find some reliable babysitters through references from neighbors.
Good luck!
http://people.delphiforums.com/sunshine210/children/yoyo.gif

[Audrey]

This is an article I wrote on this topic:

Working At Home With Young Children

When I speak to moms who work at home, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is “how do you run a business with small children?”

I have several suggestions on running a business with small children. My kids are grown now, so I’ve lived through running a business with infants, running a business with toddlers, running a business with school aged kids and running a business with teenagers.

The amount of children you have and the amount of time you put into your business are going to affect the amount of help you need with your children. “Help” can mean many different things. I had various forms of help over the years.

Infants sleep a lot. Working during sleep time can often give you the necessary hours to run a business. When I was on the phone, I had my daughter’s in their room, so if they cried, I heard them but the person on the phone did not hear them. I really did not need help during the infant stage. I was able to balance work and being mom.

The next stage was probably the most difficult, the toddler stage. At this stage, children nap perhaps two hours per day and the remainder of the day, at least my children were very high energy and wanted to be entertained.

At age two, my younger daughter went to preschool 3 mornings per week. She was there from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. She loved it and I was amazed at how much I could get done in those two hours at home. I NEVER used that time to run errands, clean the house etc. That time was almost always devoted to using the phone. In addition, her dad and I rotated night time routines so that some nights I was able to work from 7 p.m. until bedtime uninterrupted. As she got older, I increased her days in school up to five mornings per week and as she neared kindergarten age, I had her in school from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Once a child enters preschool they begin making friends. I did many play dates. I swapped with other moms. One day the kids would play at my house and the other day, the kids would play at the home of the other child. This can help in two ways. The day your child is with someone else, you have time to work. The day the kids are at your house, the kids play together, which allows you time to work. I could pick them up from school, come home and fix lunch and then actually work while the kids ate. If the kids wanted to play outdoors, my yard was fenced and my computer faced the backyard. I could keep an eye on them at all times. If the kids played indoors, they were either in the same room as I was or in the very next room. I was not always able to use the phone, but I could catch up on emails, complete paperwork and do any other tasks that did not involve the phone.

Scheduling is key here. If the kids were at my home on Monday, I tried to make Monday my day to not do the evening routine at home. I needed that time to make phone calls. If the kids were playing at someone’s home on Tuesday, I knew I had several hours I could be on the phone during the day and so I would take over the evening routine.

We also had an emergency box of toys. These toys only came out when I needed to make a phone call and I needed my toddler quiet for just a little while. My daughter loved these toys and would sometimes ask me to make a call just so she could play with the toys in the emergency box. We did not bring that box out very often and so when we did, I knew I’d have about 30 minutes of quiet time.

My older daughter did not like school and so only went to preschool from age 4 to 5, and then went to kindergarten. We joined several mommy and me classes which introduced her to other children, which then led to play dates. I also had her take longer naps, 2 or 2 ½ hours in the afternoon. She was up longer at night, but that was ok, as I wanted the time during the day to be able to make phone calls.

If you live near a college, check if the school has an early childhood development program. If they do, consider hiring someone to come to your home two mornings or two afternoons per week to watch the kids while you work. You get work time and they get experience with children and some income.

Once your kids enter elementary school, you will always have mornings to work. Afternoons can be play dates, individual play or consider hiring an older child, say 8 or 9 years old who can earn a little money and come play with your child. My kids loved their older friends. They would beg for the days their older friends would come over and play. These older kids can read to your child, fix a very simple snack, play a game with them and even watch them outside. One hour is often enough time to make a few phone calls, and after an hour sometimes the kids are getting a bit restless.

All of these ideas require scheduling. If you plan one or even two weeks at a time, you’ll have a very clear idea of when you can be on the phone and when you’ll just be mom.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Audrey Okaneko has worked from home since 1983. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

[robin123]

Here is an idea for you... especially if you want some time during the day instead of waiting until after school or at night. I am a homeschool mom and I saw a message posted the other day on local homeschool message board from a woman who wants to hire a teenage girl to come to her home and entertain her 2 little girls for a few hours once in a while so that she can get some work done. She also has a home business and I think her girls were 3 and 18 months. I can totally understand why you need some time to work uninterrupted.. its good for you, your business, and the interaction will be good for your girls.
The thing with the homeschool girls is that their time is more flexible, so they could come during the day sometimes.
Just my opinion , and GOOD LUCK!

Robin Byrd ;)

[GaMom]

That is not a bad idea at all! Working at home and dealing with children can be a handfull! I know! I have 3 here all day! LOL

Plus it would give the kids a change to interact with other little ones. Don't feel bad! if it helps you work your business!

[josi]

So many wonderfull ideas to think about.

Thanks

[Lori]

Outstanding article Audrey,

Can I feature that in the next FreelanceMom newsletter (http://www.freelancemom.com/newsletter.htm) and on the site?

Lori

[Audrey]

Lori,

Thanks for asking. You sure can. Glad you liked it.