Maternity and motherhood while self employed

[bbb93]

Hi everyone!
So I have been self employed for nearly a year now and it's been the best decision I've ever made. I'm currently renting a room above a hair salon but I've had an opportunity to take on a small salon which long story short, I am going for. However, I'm now at the point in my life where having children is on the cards at some point and I wanted to hear how any self employed women out there managed to juggle motherhood and a business? I've already accepted that I won't have a normal maternity leave like most mothers get but then running your own business has other factors that out weigh that negative. Just wanted to hear how you all managed it! Thanks Becky x

 

[AcidPerm]

Impossible to generalise as everyone is different but I chose not to have children until my forties and enjoy being a stay at home parent whilst he was in pre-school and I still only work occasionally, even though he’s ten now.

I think having children younger is a great idea because you have so much more energy but it’s always going to be a juggling act prioritising your Family v The Business. If you employ staff, you either have to employ a manager to oversea everything when you’re not there or try to muddle through. Even the best ever Employees need managing to some extent.

My only bit of advice is try to ensure you have a partner who puts in as much effort as you do. So split the chores at home 50/50 even before having children. There’s nothing worse than having a man-child draining your energy levels. I’ve seen this with a friend and she was only started to enjoy her family after they got divorced.

 

[bbb93]

Impossible to generalise as everyone is different but I chose not to have children until my forties and enjoy being a stay at home parent whilst he was in pre-school and I still only work occasionally, even though he’s ten now.

I think having children younger is a great idea because you have so much more energy but it’s always going to be a juggling act prioritising your Family v The Business. If you employ staff, you either have to employ a manager to oversea everything when you’re not there or try to muddle through. Even the best ever Employees need managing to some extent.

My only bit of advice is try to ensure you have a partner who puts in as much effort as you do. So split the chores at home 50/50 even before having children. There’s nothing worse than having a man-child draining your energy levels. I’ve seen this with a friend and she was only started to enjoy her family after they got divorced.

Thanks so much for such a detailed response! I agree, I think everyone's situation will be different but it's always good to hear how other people manage while being self employed. I'm very lucky i have a partner who pulls his weight so no worry of a man child there I think it sounds as though ultimately, us women in business will just manage to muddle through somehow, although I think we're lucky we have the flexibility if we want it! I always wanted Children in my mid to late twenties but I can see how it's easy to leave it until a bit later when you're enjoying building up your business! I think I just want it all! Haha x

 

[House Beauty]

Hi everyone!
So I have been self employed for nearly a year now and it's been the best decision I've ever made. I'm currently renting a room above a hair salon but I've had an opportunity to take on a small salon which long story short, I am going for. However, I'm now at the point in my life where having children is on the cards at some point and I wanted to hear how any self employed women out there managed to juggle motherhood and a business? I've already accepted that I won't have a normal maternity leave like most mothers get but then running your own business has other factors that out weigh that negative. Just wanted to hear how you all managed it! Thanks Becky x

I’ve put it off. I have never been so happy as I have in this job compared to everywhere else I’ve worked. In fact it’s one of very few good things in my life full stop. It keeps me going.

I always put my job first, because I’ve never been ready to give it less than the exceptional work I do now. I’ve always wanted to be a mother, but after 15 years of telling people that I never want them and to please stop asking, you do eventually start to believe it. I had too much of a good thing and I wasn’t prepared to trade it in.

However now i’m in my thirties, and moving on and my husband and I have bought our first home, we are moving away. Only 18-25mims away but far enough that some clients will travel but others will tell me about a cheap place they know (errr is that necessary haha) or that it’s very far. So because we want to have a house and its been the next thing on our list for so long we are doing it.

I have been getting so busy i’m just shattered and because of my health I only ever planned to be doing it part time (been full time 4 years), so i’m looking forward to reducing my hours and doing up the house. If there is ever a good time to have children, it would probably be now as I would easily get maternity allowance. Whether enough follow me and i’m still able to get it after a few months of being away I don’t know. Scary though. I am the type that would not want to have the baby around my work, it’s the opposite of the service I want to provide, so would only be able to work when husband home to look after them. Something to think about I guess. My friends that have them had them so young the kids are school age so I don’t need childcare now and are off out chugging along in careers. I wonder if I did it backwards but I also know I would have been a terrible mother back then. I’m just a lot more patient and kind now but my job gave me that.