Note: This article contains affiliate links (hyperlinks, widgets, or through images), which means I receive compensation if you purchase a product through them. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers. Visit my disclosure page for more information.
Tips For Finding A Balance Between Family And Business
Many mothers need to balance their time between their family and their career, and this can cause complications. Unfortunately, this issue is often exacerbated when a mother owns her own business. However, there are several ways that you can ensure that you provide your family and your business with enough attention, and you can also use your company as a way to teach your children about the value of hard work from a young age.
Work With A Life Coach
If you are having an extremely difficult time figuring out how to properly manage your time, it is definitely a good idea to hire a life coach. Find a life coach that works in the area that you need the most help. One business coach offers coaching just for those women in business for themselves, to help them achieve dreams and regain confidence. These coaches will help you prioritize your schedule, and they will also give you time management tips that will make everything fall into place more easily. Additionally, a life coach can help you set attainable goals to help you accomplish specific tasks in your personal and professional lives.
Set Definitive Working Hours
One of the perks of running a business from home is that you are able to take breaks as needed to help your children. However, if you fail to set specific working hours, this can actually work against you. After all, if you spend the vast majority of your day away from your office, your business is not likely to succeed. Therefore, you need to set working hours and stick to them unless there is an emergency that requires your attention.
Take Time Off
Many small business owners work seven days a week, but this can cause a lot of issues for their personal life. To avoid this problem, you need to make sure that you schedule certain days off every week. During your off days, you need to stay away from your work email and focus on spending quality time with your family.
Take A Family Lunch Break
Everyone needs to take a break to eat during the work day, so it makes sense to schedule this break when you can spend time with your children. Even if they are at a babysitter’s house, you should still strongly consider picking them up for an hour at least a couple of times a week.
Do Not Put Your Relationship On The Back Burner
A major mistake that many couples make is putting their children and careers in front of their relationship. Although it is imperative to make sure that the bills are paid and the children’s needs are always taken care of, you will still need to make time for each other. If you do not do this, your relationship is likely to fail, and that will have a negative impact on your children and your business.
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
Is Attachment Parenting Right for Me?
“Every day is another chance to get stronger, to eat better, to live healthier, and to be the best version of you.”
Susan Cooper
August 5, 2013 at 1:07 pmMany of these tips are wonderful for any home business owner. I believe that set hours really keep me motivated and on task. 🙂
Krystle
August 6, 2013 at 11:09 amSo true. My goal is to get up when my husband does and work till my kids wake up.
Geek Girl
August 13, 2013 at 5:28 pmVery good tips! Everyone can make use of these. 🙂
Krystle
August 14, 2013 at 5:13 pmThank you!!
Jeri
August 13, 2013 at 8:52 pmGreat tips, and ones I can vouch for since I’ve discovered the same things on my journey toward freelancing. From time to time, I do think about trying out a life coach. I know what needs to get done, but prioritizing is always my issue.
Krystle
August 14, 2013 at 5:10 pmI too think trying a life coach would be interesting. I’ve only ever seen people use them on tv though.
Elizabeth Scott
August 14, 2013 at 5:54 pmAs a busy mom and wife I always find I am teetering between family time and work time. The summertime is definitely one were balancing is extremely difficult. I have found that scheduling my day is so important. I always try to complete client tasks while my children are at school. Then I always make sure we have a distraction free dinner to talk about everybody’s day. After they go to bed I normally work on my business tasks.
Krystle
August 19, 2013 at 7:23 pmGreat ideas! Yes, the summer is super hard!!I get so much less done during that time.
Sandra Sallin
August 15, 2013 at 11:32 amOK, two things I must learn is to step away from the computer every 20 minutes to give my neck a rest and to make time to go to the market! No food in the house is not a good thing for my husband. I’ve got to figure out that timing.
Krystle
August 19, 2013 at 7:19 pmGreat tips!! I hate grocery shopping though 🙂
Mary Slagel@Shape Daily
August 16, 2013 at 4:03 pmI give props to all of the women out there who are raising a family and working a job. I can’t imagine it is easy. My mother worked when my sister was born but luckily she worked in my father’s office so she could take my sister in and let her sit next to her. By the time I was born, she worked only part time, but I know even that was difficult.
Krystle
August 19, 2013 at 7:13 pmMy mom didn’t really work when I was a kid either. She had a job here and a job there but nothing consistant. I give props to the mothers that work full time!!
Krystle
August 19, 2013 at 7:17 pmBy the way I tried going to your site but I couldn’t. It just wouldn’t load for some reason.
Krystyna Lagowski
August 17, 2013 at 7:01 pmOh, that tricky work-life balance. It’s much too easy, especially if you work from home, to tip the scales the wrong way. Time management is so important, as is self-discipline. But then, so is allowing yourself to play hooky once in a while … especially during the summer … : ))
Krystle
August 19, 2013 at 6:45 pmYes, the summer is a different story when the kids are home 🙂
joannerambling
January 9, 2017 at 1:14 pmSome bloody good ideas here
Krystle
January 13, 2017 at 3:44 pmI’m glad you enjoyed them! Balancing life out can be tricky!