| elainecurrie333@yahoo.co.uk. | | | | start yourhome based business. Your child will grow up |
| Best regards | | | | with thebusiness and not have any memory of a time |
| Elaine Currie | | | | when yourattention did not have to be shared. As an |
| Moms' Home Business Recipe: Choose A Home | | | | infant normallyspends most of the day sleeping, you |
| Business, Add Children And Mix | | | | will have plenty ofquiet hours in which to get your |
| A home based business plus children can be a recipe | | | | business up and runningefficiently. A three month old |
| forsuccess or a recipe for disaster. The outcome of | | | | baby will be perfectlyhappy to entertain him/herself on |
| theexperiment depends not on the ingredients but | | | | an activity mat in acorner of the home office with you |
| rather uponthe techniques you use to combine them. | | | | in sight while you work. |
| The key to successfully combining the running of a | | | | Things get trickier when baby gets to the |
| homebased business with caring for young children is | | | | crawling,standing and climbing stages. For several |
| to createan environment where the children don't feel | | | | months, your daywill be a series of rescue missions: |
| that they needto compete with the business for their | | | | either rescuing youradventurous tot from precarious |
| mother's attention. | | | | situations or rescuing yourtreasured possessions from |
| The simplest way to do this is to ensure that the | | | | your little treasure's everextending reach. Keep a box |
| childfeels welcome in mom's home office and not shut | | | | of toys in your office andencourage your child to play |
| out. Theway this can most easily be achieved | | | | within sight while you work. |
| depends upon the ageof the child when the mother | | | | Working while baby is awake will, however, be |
| decides to become a work athome mom. | | | | impossibleexcept for very short spells, so make the |
| The older the children are, the easier it is to | | | | most of nap times. |
| reassurethem that they will still get as much of mom's | | | | By the time your child reaches two years of |
| time, careand attention as they need. At the same | | | | age,independent play will last longer and demands on |
| time, they can bemade to understand that the new | | | | your timewill lessen. A toddler will enjoy sitting at his |
| home business is importantand that they can help | | | | her ownlittle desk in your office and crayoning works |
| make this time easier for theirmother. Don't be afraid | | | | of art ormaking collages while you get on with the |
| to lay down some rules, childrenrespond well to a | | | | grown up versionof office activities. If you can provide |
| structured existence where they know whatbehaviour | | | | little jobs foryour child to do, this will encourage growth |
| is welcomed and what is forbidden. | | | | of the child'sself-esteem and feeling of being an |
| Make sure any timetable includes spells of "together" | | | | important part of yourhome business. A two year old |
| timewhen you will give undivided attention to each | | | | will be delighted to betrusted with the important job of |
| childindividually. This could mean helping an older child | | | | helping to take out thewaste paper at the end of the |
| withhomework or reading a story to a toddler. Also | | | | day. |
| slot intime for family activities when you will all get | | | | Makingyour child feel welcome in your home business |
| togetherto watch TV or go to the park or play a | | | | environmentis the first step in getting this recipe to |
| game all thechildren can enjoy. | | | | work well. Aset of simple rules and a workable |
| Although caring for tiny infants is time consuming | | | | schedule are all thatyou need as finishing touches to |
| andtiring (especially if they are wakeful during the | | | | enjoy your recipe forsuccess. |
| night),when your baby is very young is a good time to | | | | |