I am pleased and honored to feature Lyss Stern, owner of Divalysscious Moms and author of the book, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself
As the owner of Divalysscious Moms, (www.divalyssciousmoms.com), a luxury lifestyle company for mothers and families, and the mother of two young children, (Oliver is 20 months, and Jackson is five years old), I am frequently asked how I balance motherhood and owning/operating my own business especially during the summer months. While every successful mother and business owner has her own recipe with ingredients that work for her as an individual, some tips that I like to give other mothers that are in similar situations are the “Divalysscious Tips”, and the ingredients that work for my “Mommy Entrepreneur Recipe For Organization During The Summer.” Working during the summer months can be a challenge for any mom but with a little bit of ingenuity and being intentional about making time for fun, you can have a great summer with your kids.
Here are my “Divalysscious Tips on How to be a Mommy and an Entrepreneur the Key Ingredient is Organization” for owning your own business and being mother of children under the age of five.
1. Your Children Come First. That means that any email and phone call can and will come after the children are happy and settled in. With today’s technology, it seems that everything is urgent; however your children’s well being comes first. Most importantly, your children need to feel secure. Keep the children busy outside, playing, running around and or swimming in a pool. Once your children are “tired” out, you will have more time to get your work accomplished. Plan a fun family trip, it can be to the local pool and or beach. You must make time for your children during the summer months.
2. Prioritize. Make sure that your work can be done early in the morning before the children wake up. Yes, that means sometimes waking up at 4:30am to finish work… of course you will need a large cup of coffee! Get a laptop, so that you can work from the beach, pool and or your backyard. It’s important that your children see you during the summer days. Try to do work at night after the children are sleeping. Set goals for your business, family and yourself. Balance is extremely important.
3. Have a routine. Having breakfast with the children and taking my older son to the camp bus in the morning are crucial aspects of my daily life during the summer. Dinner, bath time, and bedtime are also extremely important for my children and for me. I try my best to put down the blackberry, and eat with the children, bathe them, read to them, and spend quality time with them before bed. After my boys are sleeping, I know that I can go back on the computer to finish up my work.
4. Have a “Mommy Time Out”. Moms that run their own businesses also need to take a few minutes out of their busy day for themselves. I have a strong philosophy that if mom isn’t happy then the children won’t be happy, and with running your own business, at many times things can be stressful. Take ten minutes to meditate, get a quick ten minute back massage at the local nail salon, look through a magazine, or even take ten minutes to make a phone call to a friend, completely unrelated to work, just to say hi. This time will rejuvenate you and allow you a much needed break.
5. Delegate. Always remember that being a mom and a business owner gives you the right to delegate the work, which means surrounding yourself with a great supportive team comprised of positive people who have high energy. Make sure these are people that you can trust, and people that can help you. My husband is my biggest supporter, at times he has to help with the children because I might need to be at a meeting, have to work late, etc… I know that I can count on my husband and vice versa for him, as he too, has a high demanding job. Delegate the errands with your family, care giver, and do not be afraid to ask for help! It’s always better to ask, then to be completely overwhelmed.
