Hey another thread got me thinking, how do you guys find working and having children, did u find it hard juggeling going back to work after. Do you work and have babies and children, was just wondering how all the mums do it, thanks sarah xx

It's a struggle.
But, with determination, lack of sleep, organization and just generally flying by the seat of your pants sometimes, you CAN get it done

HOWEVER.............. you HAVE to accept that some things are just going to have to slide AND you'll have to give up a lot of personal activities/pass times.

Write EVERYTHING down in one large agenda (kids dr' appmnts', client's etc... ) You should even 'book' your personal time and don't budge or you'll never get any. Schedule your housekeeping (for each day, set certain tasks). Keep it all in one book, that way, you don't mess anything up.
I use outlook on my pooter and back it p to my blackberry. The different 'appointments' are colour coded. Clients are orange. Doctors are grey. Kids's ped-days at school are blue, etc.... Once you start recognizing your colours, you can see what's what at a quick glance.
Outlook even has alarms to remind you to do such-n-such, and a 'tasks' list.
It's GREAT!!

As I said though.. you will reach the end of your day going "omg, I didnt finish this or that or the other".
That's life. Never enough hours. Accept that!!!

hth's

you cope!

the worst is when your child is either ill, its school holidays or they do an event in school and you have forgotten to mark it out of your diary.

Whenever I get a letter from school now I put it straight into my diary so I don't get caught out as much, even things like school trip (packed lunch).

I only have limited childcare, my in-laws pick my son up from school one day a week,the rest is up to me.

Because I am self employed I am my own boss, which is a help with time off. but, my son has learn't from an early age that he has to come to work with me on occasion. He will sit still for an hour without budging and making too much noise. I sometimes have to jump in the car to pick him up from school and then take him back with me to finish my days appointments.

It works, just. but summer holidays seem to stretch for ever!

I have a 2 yr old, and i have to fit around her, i have just found a perfect shop but i dont know if its a good idea to push myself at the moment until she goes to nursery next sept.

I only have a few people - my mum and my sister who i can ask for babysitting and im a single mother so get no help from ex or his family, lucky i have some clients who are really understanding and also in similar positions so we fit in with each other even if it means i have to let them come to me at 8pm at night for a 3 hr treatment cos their kids are playing up and mine is in bed. or i cant get a babysitter and they really want me to do it rather than go somewhere else, I try to make sure my customer care is excellent as that is what keeps them coming back.

its hard. I try to keep all appointments to the same 2 days, this often means I start early and finish late on those 2 days, am incredibly busy but only have to get childcare those 2 days and can spend the rest of the week being a mother. She wont be 2 forever. xx

It is hard. I am a single parent but luckily for me my ex is out of work so is able to have our son some days. Saying that, in the holidays especially I try to book all my appointments for later in the week so the beginning of the week and every other weekend is spent with him. Most clients are understanding and I too will work as late as necessary on the days he is at his dad's.

I've been a single parent since my kids were 2 and 4. They are now 22 and 24. It's been a struggle, to say the least! The bottom line is, you do what you HAVE to do. It can be extrememly difficult to juggle everything. I'm sure it's a tad easier if there are two parents in the house.

I have a 2 and a 3 year old. I work part time during the day at my office job then I open my salon 6 nights a week at 7pm.

My husband works full time and we have no childcare help from family etc at all. So its either private nursery at £10 an hour for both of them or nothing!

At the moment its very tough, i dont really see my husband untill we are in bed but like someone earlier said they arent this age forever so by struggling along now we will reap the benefits later.

x
ETA: It was very easy for me to agree to a client coming over on my night off as I used to see it as being accessible to clients and providing them for great customer service, HOWEVER, it is actually more important for me to decline appointments on a satuday night regardless of how much they need to see me. I have to balance my work and family life and even though its only one night with my husband we both treasure it and my clients have a whole 6 nights a week to see me.

Just a question, is the dad helping at all...?

It shouldn't be any problem to have a career if the dad is helping as much as you do and if you use the day care centras.

I'm a single mum and have 2 kids. I work in a salon and also mobile. Dont get much support off the family so employ a babysitter. It's hard going paying someone but I am fortunate to earn a decent amount I suppose to get by. You just do it if it is your livlihood. x

My children are 10 and 7 and I work Monday to Friday 9am til 3pm (school hours) and then I do 3 evenings 6pm til 10pm when my husband gets home from work...... I choose to only do 3 evenings to give me a work/home balance and working that with school hours gives me enough time to look after my clients and the flexibility of picking my guys up from school every day......

Perfect for me!!

I work six days and I have 3 boys ranging from 15, 13 and 6. I work from 10am til 7pm every night except saturdays it is til 4. It is hard work, as my husband is also self employed and we dont get home til 7 every night. My eldest helps out with the kids, cooks for them and they help to tidy up. I have a cleaner come once a week for two hours for £20.(best £20 I spend every week).
Youngest goes to care club at school til 6 then we have cuddles on the sofa til bedtime.
It is hard but im lucky my kids understand that mom is trying to build a business, they come into the salon straight from school and brew up for all my clients. My Clients think my children are fab as they are polite and try to commodate the clients as they know they are my bread and butter.
My lads have even run errands for the ladies and always say hello to them all when they come in.

When they are ill sometimes they have to come to work with me but they sit quietly or go to sleep in a room that isnt being used. Wont say its easy but we struggle by.

If there are 2 parents its a bit easier than for a single parent family, I am a single mother and it seems im always begging for baby sitters like i said my clients are regulars and they understand so we fit around each other if its a new client i go out of my way more to make them happy but normally they are then more than happy to fit with the hours i have each week etc.

All should be better in sept as my little girl is going to nursery full time so I can hopefully get a salon or work more x