Entrepreneurship is hard, and so is being a mother. But in many ways, the time management and organization skills from being a mother work well to aid you in carrying out your entrepreneurial work. Likewise, the negotiation and active listening skills required of a good businesswoman can help you be a better mother.
The first thing you need to do is accept that these sides of your personality can co-exist. Reject the view that you must choose and accept that this is a brave new world with better choices for women. There are so many ways to balance your time, get help, and be an amazing mom and businesswoman.
There are virtual assistants you can use to keep your schedule clear and managed. For example, customer relationship management software allows you to keep your clients happy while spending time with the children. Childcare centers are good for your children and keep them occupied in healthy ways while you work on your business and attend meetings. In fact, some mompreneurs have even found their calling due to the influence of their children.
Understanding what is required of you in both areas and knowing when to be flexible and stand firm can help you become the best at being both a mom and businesswoman.
Put Yourself First
You do not need to sacrifice your health and well-being for your family or your business. You come first in everything. A healthy and happy mother is the best gift you can give to your children. It will teach them to take good care of themselves, respect their bodies and minds, and develop healthy habits.
A well-rested and healthy person is also better suited to dealing with the many questions and situations running a business presents. Even at the start-up point, business owners are constantly faced with choices, disputes, and lengthy negotiations. A healthy body can help you to be productive in the home and at work.
Have an Office
Physically having an office space can help you and your family to take your business seriously. Children often need the physical barrier to remind them that there are times to seek out their mother and times to seek out their father.
This is very healthy and can help them to learn about boundaries at an early age. Having this space will also make it easier for you to avoid bringing work into family time. It will serve to help you develop a system that works with your family’s schedule so that you can give all your focus to your work when you need to and bring that same focus and more affection to your family outside of the office.
Combine Tasks
Multi-tasking is a corporate myth, but as a mother, you know you have to find ways to combine tasks if you want to get everything on your list done. The best way to approach this is to know which tasks to combine so that you can get the most benefit.
Emailing clients and suppliers requires your full focus and cannot be combined with another task. But delivering packages to the mailbox or the post office can be combined with a trip to the grocery store or the daycare center.
Keep up your exercise routine by combining your need to run in the fresh air and your children’s desire to visit the playground. They can enjoy the playground, and you can keep an eye on them as you jog.
Family Night and Date Night
As your business gets busier and more of your time is taken away from your children, you must start prioritizing certain days just for the family. Knowing that you are keeping up with your children and spouse will help you to devote the attention you need to your business.
Plan out a family night every week and give each family member a turn in deciding what to do. Make sure to designate the easiest work tasks for that day so you can be alert and active to do whatever the family night activity involves.
Discuss what you and your partner need to support and work out how you two would like to celebrate your connection. Seek to make date night a very relaxed time with very low expectations. Romance is important, but sometimes, partners need to talk, vent, and eat popcorn while watching trashy television shows. Send the children off for the night to visit their relatives. It gives them an opportunity to build their family connections and gives you two a chance to sleep uninterrupted through the night.
Conclusion
One of the most important things you can do for yourself and your children is not feel guilty. You do not have anything to be ashamed of, so why feel guilty? Being a businesswoman and a dedicated mother is the best example you can give to your children. It will inspire your daughters and show them that they do not have to sacrifice their dreams to be good mothers or vice versa. It will also give your sons a good dynamic for supporting their future spouses and teaching them to respect women’s ability to achieve their potential.
There will be hard days, but these are just as important as the good ones. Take time off and focus on self-care. Involve your children in your relaxation and stress-relief activities. They will learn so much of value from seeing that you respect your mind and body enough to take a break and that it does not affect your productivity. Trust yourself, and you will find that you truly enjoy being a mompreneur.
