Blend business life with raising of children

For me, I would never trade being home to see my son’s first steps or my daughter’s first ballet class.

I am content knowing I was home to put them down for naps and to pick them up from school.

If you can, you may want to keep your business small and not try to take over the world so you can be present for these precious moments.

Now that my son is in third grade, I can see that he doesn’t need me to be around so much.

Besides being in school full time, he plays with his friends for hours.

I can see that I will have plenty of years to work traditional business hours.

Traci Bisson, founder of The Mom Entrepreneur, describes a similar experience.

When her children were younger, she had more one-on-one time to spend with them throughout the day.

She was most productive when the children were napping or after they went to bed.

Because of this, Bisson’s client load needed to be smaller so she could manage with limited hours.

“As any mom entrepreneur will tell you — and as I know you understand — it is a fine balance every day to make sure you are giving your children everything they need. Family first,” Bisson says.

Author and radio host Maria Bailey came to the Stroller Strides National Conference this year.

She sat in the back of a session I taught on work/family balance.

Bailey smiled as she heard me describe all of the struggles of balancing being a business owner and a mother.

Bailey’s children are teenagers now.