Children
in the Home Business Environment
Copyright © Stone
Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-2508
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans will help you setup your very own money making
website today that's 100% ready to take orders and pull in
MASSIVE PROFITS for you right now...GUARANTEED! Plus, you'll get
your own pre-written ezine-in-a-box customized and setup for you
absolutely free WITHIN 24 HOURS!! Get started immediately at:
http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-2508
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Reprinted with
permission from the Plug-In Profit Site Free
Website Builder.
