Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Does anyone really ‘balance’ it!
I have two boys. My 3-year-old is in daycare 5 days a week and my 8-month-old is at home with me 4 days a week. Fridays are a dream where they are both in daycare and I actually get uninterrupted work time!
My normal days are a juggle, I get as much done in my son’s nap times as I can, however some days he doesn’t sleep unless we go for a walk and that leads to me spending far too much money in the fabric store planning my next projects! Bonus though – my local fabric store now knows me by name, and they are super helpful!
As any working parent knows, it is hard to find the balance that works for everyone. It is definitely a team effort in our household. My husband is very helpful and is on bath duties in the evening, while I usually go on a trip to the supermarket for some peace and quiet and of course snacks. This is often actually where I browse the gift card and wrapping paper aisle – it always seems to give me inspiration on what kind of patterns to design next.
I work a lot in the evenings – probably far too much. As my 8-month-old gets older and picks more days up at daycare, I am sure I will get more done in the day and need to do less at night!
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
I think for me, time is the biggest challenge. There are so many things that I want to do and juggling kids at the same time sometimes makes it impossible to get everything done! I say I need more time – my husband thinks I need a smaller list!
I have to often remind myself that getting frustrated that I have no time isn’t going to make me have any more of it. Some days I just have to be in the moment and if that means playing with playdoh instead of sitting working, well that’s okay.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I love the flexibility and that I can take the lead on the upcoming patterns and projects of my businesses. I love that I can still be there for my kids and that I will always be the one to pick them up from daycare/school.
The hard part is that I wear all of the hats: the mum, the wife, the businesswomen, the cleaner, the accountant – the list could go on! It can make the days feel really long and sometimes you feel like you have already worked all day before 8am!
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I am working on some really special things behind the scenes at the moment, and though currently most of my products are made with store-bought fabric, in the future I will definitely be integrating more of my own pattern designs in the fabric I use for my products!
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