3. Do One Thing as a
Family Each Day
"This can even be watching a favorite TV show. For example, we
watch Survivor each Thursday night. We also like to play
a great card game called Five Crowns. It's tough to balance mom
time and work time. For us, this has worked." --Audrey
4. Put Them on the
Payroll
"My kids are a little older, so I put them on my payroll. Simple
tasks are good, such as putting labels on packages or filing
papers. It instills a work ethic, they understand what Mommy's
doing in her office and kids can take real pride in doing
'grown-up' jobs, all while spending time with you. Plus, paying
them can be tax deductible for your business." --Jennifer
5. Set Aside Money for
Fun Activities
"I knew we would all be making some sacrifices, so I took 25
percent of the money that I made from my business and put it
into our 'fun kitty.' We would decide how to spend that money
together. Our first decision was a vacation to Hawaii. That was
something we'd wanted to do, but we never really had enough
money for all of us. That 'fun kitty' plus our vacation savings
made it possible." --Lucy
6. Schedule Family
Obligations First
"One of the awesome things about having your own home business
is that you decide when to work. Here's how I did it: I
took my family's schedule and marked on my business calendar all
of the times for my son's baseball games and out-of-town
tournaments, important family dates and other busy times. In my
son's senior year of high school, I drastically cut back my work
schedule during April, May and June to be available for all of
his extra activities. It did affect my business somewhat, but I
worked really hard over the summer to make up for it and don't
regret it one bit." --Sally
7. Be Honest with Your
Kids
"Let them know how serious your work is but that if something is
important, they can come see you. I had a family meeting to tell
them of my plans and how much time my business would require of
me, and I asked for their suggestions. That way, they felt part
of the decision." --Alicia
8. Create Sacred Time
"I don't plan any work stuff from dinnertime until 7pm. We have
dinner, do homework and bathe the kids. It's just regular family
stuff but I never miss it." --Lynn
9. Work after Their
Bedtime
"After my kids are in bed, I make any calls to customers that I
need to. This is also a great time to take care of my paperwork
and other office stuff. It does take some time and planning but
the life I have now is heaven and I feel blessed to be home
every day. I would never go back to what I was doing
before." --Carolyn
