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By Adriana Copaceanu
Most work at home moms start home based businesses because
they
want to be home with their little ones. And I was no
different:
I left a great corporate job to be around my two children.
But then, you put a lot of work in your business, and it
works!
Yes, you are getting orders, and making some money, but the
flip
side is that you don’t have as much time for your little ones.
How do you then balance your time? Do you still put your
children first? Or do you go for the "just a minute honey!"
line and hope they can't tell time?
It happened to me: one day, during my first Christmas season
in
business, I was busy with an order for 150 gift baskets. It
was
hard work, and stress was running high. The deadline was
approaching, and I had no time to stop to even straighten the
room.
There were boxes with product everywhere, there were empty
boxes, and there was gourmet food everywhere: a true disaster
area! And just then, my 4 year old daughter (now 11) came to
me
with her big brown eyes in tears: "Mommy, I am bored and I am
lonely... Can we play a little?" What could I do? I was alone
at home with her, and if I stopped to play, there was no way I
could finish my order in time.
So, I thought quickly, on my feet, of how I could play with
her
and work at the same time. And I came up with the idea of
building her an office right next to mine out of used/damages
boxes. She was ecstatic! And SHE did all the work! I told her
where to go and get the boxes, and made room for her by me
desk. She built a desk, improvised a chair, and even had items
to sell in her store.
With that in place, I was able to continue my work
uninterrupted most of the time. She loved watching and copying
me: when I picked up the phone to talk to a customer, she
picked up her imaginary phone. When I needed to make a basket,
she made one of her own. When I calculated the price for my
baskets, she picked up a pencil and calculated her own prices.
In time, her office evolved: the old, damaged boxes were
replaced with actual wooden drawers. Inventory I wasn't able
to
sell became her store's inventory. She even got an adding
machine, and a couch. Now, her office is her favorite spot to
play. And it's not just an office anymore: it's an entire
building with different shops. She has a restaurant, a bath
and
body store, a book store, and a toy store.
The store has helped her in many ways:
- she learned about maintaining and ordering inventory
- she learned about phone etiquette
- she learned addition and subtraction
- she learned organization skills
- she learned to be creative (little bits and pieces of
ribbon,
irregular baskets, empty containers have become great assets
to
her business)
Could YOU be using your business to teach your kids business
basics while having fun? I am sure you could. Just take some
time and think how your situation can be used to plant some
business seeds in your child.
About The Author: Adriana Copaceanu is a work at home mom of
2,
and the publisher of www.Babys-First-Year.com, an
online
resource for new parents and www.Busy-Moms-Online.com.
Visit her today!
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