The other day my friend and founder of PowerMatch posted on Facebook that her son wanted to have more family dinners. Her post got a lot of comments and also got me thinking about the work life balance of a Work From Home Mom.
For us in the Thomas Household we have breakfast and dinner together. Some days we talk some days we don’t. Some days they like what I prepare others it’s a losing battle.
As women and more importantly Mothers, we not only run businesses we run households! And when our children ask something so important of us as in Sara’s case it was family dinners. We feel like the world just came to a halt. Like WTF! Then we begin to question EVERYTHING we have done, did and will do. I get it! Trust me there is nothing more that I understand than THAT FEELING! But here’s the thing, your kid(s) only really only said some words to YOU. It’s up to you to what you do with those words. I know they have major impact and can cut to your core but please READ THE NEXT LINE VERY CAREFULLY: Don’t freak out, dont rearrange your world, don’t, just don’t. Take a breath. Take said kid aside at a more relaxed time like after bath or during bedtime and ask what can we do to make this work.
Remember the key is to do this systematically and WITHOUT blowing the kids mind with so much ADULT stuff like business and clients and commitments that you can’t break. Simply state that you have made promises to other people too and for now they can’t broken. BUT you can do breakfast instead of dinner, or dinner on the weekends. Offer the child options and allow them to come up with ideas which will help them feel like they are part of the decision-making process which is always good. It will give you an in to where your child is and help put you at ease.
Once you’ve settled this ask your child if there is anything else that they have been wanting to discuss with you. Better now then feeling sideswiped later. Trust me my daughter is FAMOUS for this!
Work life balance is easy to achieve. TRUST ME! My husband works a rotating shift with his company which goes something like this (EVERY TWO WEEKS I MIGHT ADD) 6am to 6pm weekends off then he switches to 6pm to 6am with weekends on. I’ve gotten used to it after 9 years my kids not so much but they are still young. I have learned to utilized playsitters, family members, college students you name it I have used them. Then one day I decided to limit the number of family portrait sessions I offered and focused on my Headshot Clients more. I was able to work when my kids were in school and be home when they were. My daughter is happier, as is my son. I am more focused on a niche that I didn’t realize I LOVE and I have more quality time when my husband IS home.
My advice and that’s all it is, Look at the way you are doing things and see if you can mix things up. Transformation is creating something from nothing. just because it gas worked in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it. Create a new way of doing things for you AND your family. You’ll be better for it.
