The Family Business: Working WITH Your Kids

One of the best parts about running a home business is that you get to work around your family. But HOW do you accomplish business tasks when you are surrounded by littles?

Work in Your “Off” Hours

Your primary role as mother is to bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). That means you need to be available to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. If you are always distracted working on business projects, your children are going to perceive that you have put making money above them. Your children are your mission field. Don’t let your home business take you away from the reason you are a stay-at-home mom to begin with.

That said, there are times when your children don’t need you. One strategy for making your business work around your children is to find snippets of time when they are naturally occupied elsewhere. Nap time, early morning, or after curfew hours work great for many SAHMs. Waiting for kids while they are in music lessons or sports practice is another opportunity for work (just be sure you aren’t missing those golden moments of watching your children succeed in their lessons!). It’s also perfectly acceptable to set aside “me time” during the day – a set period of time when the children know that you are going to work on your business and they need to play happily. As long as it is understood that this is a specific, limited amount of time it’s not bad for your kids to learn that you need thirty minutes to yourself now and then.

Some of your most productive hours for your business are going to be when your children otherwise naturally occupied. This way, they aren’t missing you and you’re not missing opportunities to nurture them. But SAHMs don’t always get “off” hours. My oldest boys have outgrown their naps, so afternoons can be busy around here. Not to mention, in the baby season you are dead tired and getting up “just a little earlier” or staying up “just a little later” is not an option. Your family needs you to get adequate rest, not drain yourself trying to grow your business.

So what option do you have when you NEVER get kid-free time?

Work WITH Your Kids

One of my favorite things about my business is that it gives me a chance to work with my children. I try to involve them in as many aspects as I can. Rather than getting frustrated because they want to ask a million questions about what I’m doing, I use it as an opportunity to help them learn skills and develop their own talents.

My primary business is supporting SAHMs with small businesses. This means I do a lot of advertising, which requires getting to know my clients and their products. I especially enjoy the interviews I conduct with potential clients, and my older boys (5 yrs and 6 yrs) love to help me come up with questions to ask. Just this morning they sat on my lap and together we came up with a list of questions people might have about my client’s business. When you read author or business owner interviews on this blog, many of the questions you see were produced by my boys. Kids come up with great questions I never would have thought to ask!

I also play around with other money-making ventures and try to include my kids. I’ve recently begun delving into the world of photography. My little ones actually make great assistants (as long as I use them one at a time J). They grab props, adjust lighting, and make posing suggestions. We’ve discovered that my 6 yr old has a great eye for editing photos, so I ask him what he thinks needs to be adjusted on a particular image. Not only does he help me out, he’s developing his own skills to use later in life.

Don’t get me wrong, it is still more difficult and more time consuming to work with children on business projects. But a slow process is so much better than neglecting them. Your product may not lend itself well toward involving your kids, especially if they are very young. Even so, there is usually some part of the production line that kids can help with, even if it’s just making a color suggestion. Kids make great salesmen, too, especially at craft shows! Show your kids how you make your product, let them help you with marketing, and celebrate when you succeed together.

Remind Your Children of Your Purpose

When working on business ventures with your kids, be purposeful. Use your time to help them develop skills, talk to them about why you are running this business, and teach them that using their talents to make money is great but using their talents in service to the Kingdom is even better!

Model a servant heart in your business. Show your kids how you use your business not only to make money but also to serve God. That could be in the form of donating your product or profit to someone in need, talking to clients about the Gospel, or using your skills to help other people. There are so many ways you can include your kids in service through your business. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). Keep your focus where it should be and teach your children to do the same.

Kids are fun co-workers. Embrace the loud, crazy, and messy. You’ll treasure the memories you make while working together on your family business!

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