How is your work life balance?

[whirl]

Seriously! Have you got it nailed or are you miles off the mark!

I am still a long way off! Eldest DS has been at nuresry for 3 full days a week fo 3 weeks now and whilst I do cram in every minute I can in that time I do still end up at the computer every night till late.

Do you have a 'rota'? If anyone has this sorted please tell me how you do it - or do you think that if you are a workaholic by nature that its a case of striving for the impossible?

[Chell]

The problem is with kids, no matter what you plan the little devils end up ill! I was supposed to have my college induction, get my haircut and sort out a wedding dress this week as well as all the work stuff. DS has now got chicken pox so we are stuck indoors :-( DD had it the week before last.

[knotjustjigs]

i work for an employer 3 days a week so when i get in from i work eat and then "my work" on the other days i get things done as and when really and i try and get up an hour before everyone else to get some done...Ds has started playgroup so i get a morning free!
i look like an old hag at the moment because it seem to be all work and no play.. dreading my fair season coming up! when will i fit them all in :(


Ketty x

[whirl]

I know what you mean Chell, there is just no predictability with children. Bring on School!

Ketty - poor you I cant imagine having a 'real' job! lol!!! on top of this. you have done so well though, think of how you were when I met you and you had that old website that had only taken a handful of orders! You must have learnt so much in such a short period! :clapping:

[knotjustjigs]

Ahh thanks for that, i am really proud of myself and what i have acheived in a short space of time... so glad i decided to "go it alone" and get into the webise side of things!although i do love the out doorsy stuff...

my real job is a job and a half too :( really detest it at the minute but until this takes off i am not willing to give things up so will battle on!

Cheel, poor you! didnt realise ds had it now....

Ketty x

[lajlaj]

Cr*p but then I have fully accepted that as a business woman with my own business I am going to spend more hours working than if I went to work for someone else.

However, I can also hand on heart say that the kids get to have me at all the events at the school - even when they "forget" to tell me it is on I can usually jiggle with virtually no notice to make sure I'm there, and I try to take all school holidays off (apart from the summer when they go to holiday camp a couple of weeks during the day because they would be bored more than anything else).

As a compromise though I spend more time than I should on the computer when they are around and they probably get a raw deal some weekends too - but I do make sure they have friends round or are well entertained.

I think there is guilt with parenting no matter how you work and even if you don't work so I have spent a lot of time beating myself up about this to draw the conclusion that I have to cut myself some slack or I would make myself ill with guilt.

[Katiequiggle]

I'm really lucky that both of mine are at school now. I take them to school then come home and do an hours housework and start work at 10am. I take my lunch to work with me (to the shed) so that I only have to come back for the loo. I write a list of stuff I have to do each day and stuff that needs doing if theres time and if theres not it goes on tomorows must do list.

I don't always get everything done but I do manage to get the bulk of it sorted. I stop around 3.15 to go and pick up the kids then do stuff with them. If I need to I work in the evenings if I have a big order going out that needs doing, or sometimes I will do personal stuff for myself in the shed. I do most of my loading stuff onto the website in the evenings on the laptop after sorting out the photography stuff and emailing it to my laptop.

It does get a lot better when they go to school Jazz, though I love having mine home. I do more work at night when they are on holidays.

The only time I get bogged down is if I have a succession of interuptions, friends do tend to 'drop in' for coffee, or mil will drop in on her way to the village etc, I'm sure they still don't realise that I actually do work even if I am at home lol.

[trogette]

I consider myself lucky that my kids don't go to school, can't imagine dealing with dd4's random sleep habits (bed at 10.30 and getting up at 5.30 anyone? :| ) and having to do the school run and having to fit work in... this way I can fiddle about all day if I want to and still be available as necessary :) Plus the big two can sort lunch and nip to the postbox and stuff :)

[Arianna]

For the past 3 years (wow Ihelm Enterprises will be 3 years old on the 20th of May!), I seem to have swung from the balance being totally non-existent to, having a bit of a balance, to being non-existent and back again. I will do fine for awhile, and then something happens and it gets all knocked out of shape again.

I am really trying very hard to stick to strict business hours, but sometimes when I have a project that I just want to get finished it's really hard.

I do know that DH and I are less of a pair of workaholics than we were - we actually do things on weekends now that don't involve work at all.

Arianna

[Chutney]

At the moment it is awful! There are just too many things going on with house rennovation, DH working from home, DD, PC crashing etc etc!
When things settle down, I am going to work from 9-12 every day and then 6-9 in the evening. I can then do picky bits in the day if needed.
At the moment I am working in the evenings until midnight. I have dark circles ha ha!
Usually I am quite good at time management but not at the moment.
Anyway, it is so sunny am off to stress in the park - ha ha!
Love
Chutney
XXX

[Tanya]

CR@P to be honest, I am a pure workaholic and will never get the balance right, doesn't help that I work 5 days a week too but I can't give that up

maybe one day I'll get it right

[HannahBanana]

Haha! I was really bad! I spent all spare moments in the day on the pc and all night till 11.30 - midnight.

Then mine and Df's relationship when a bit funny and we sorted it out some of the problem being my laptop! lol!

Now I do naff all work! I got all motivated last week but that has gone again now! I'm not sure what's happened or when it happened but I just can't bare it at the moment. Even considering getting myself a proper job iykwim as I just want money and want it now iykwim I hate asking james for it and now I wish I never left work when I had a cushy job dong 3 days a week 9.15-2.45... I'm such an idiot!

[Tanya]

:kisshands: :kisshands: :kisshands: :kisshands:

take some hugs if you need them