Home and Family

Working Around Children in the Home Business Work Place
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.Home-Business.com

Operating a home business is seldom easy and interruptions come

in all shapes, sizes and forms.

Between the family, friends and neighbors who call or come by,
and the telemarketers who insist on ringing your number off the
hook, getting through the workday can be a real challenge.

When you introduce children into the home office environment,
your productivity and patience can be seriously tested.

For example, right now my three-year old daughter is pulling on
my shirt and begging me to read her a story. Clearly, I'm in the
middle of something important here, but how can I say no to
those eyes? Ill be right back...

Ok, that wasn't so bad was it? She's happy, I'm happy (having
bonded with my daughter) and now I'm back to continue my
conversation with you What's the lesson here? Flexibility
is a major key to balancing your home business priorities with
your family's needs.

I can tell you from first-hand experience that maintaining a
deep level of concentration on work in a home business for long
periods of time is next to impossible. Naptime does offer some
reprieve, but any break from the kids is usually short lived.

Even with older children, summertime introduces new challenges
with kids running in and out of the house all throughout the day.

I would like to share with you some of the tips I have
discovered to help manage your home office with children in your
midst. Since children of different ages pose different
challenges, I will present my tips in terms of age groups.

OLDER CHILDREN AND TEENS

We will look at older children first since they pose the least
challenge to our work productivity.

Children, who are old enough to understand the idea of schedules
and chores, are old enough to understand the needs of your home
business. Explain to your children that you do your work at home
so that you can be near them when they need you. But also be
sure they understand that you must do your work so that you will
have the money necessary to keep your house, feed the family and
to provide them with money for entertainment.

Once your children understand the necessity of your work, then
outline a work schedule and explain it to them. Do make sure
they understand that emergencies are definitely an acceptable
reason to interrupt your work. Then make sure they understand
that between hours x and y, you will be doing work --- and then
hold them to respecting your schedule.

INFANTS

Infants will never understand your needs for work. But
fortunately, babies do well under a schedule or routine. Instead
of expecting your child to work around your schedule, schedule
your work around the needs of your baby.

It is simple. Babies eat, sleep and poop. Sometimes they play.
Fortunately, babies sleep more than they do anything else.

Naptime offers the best advantage for getting your work done.
Get your baby into a routine of eat, sleep and play, and you
will experience unexpected levels of productivity.

TODDLERS

If you have a toddler running around the house while you are
operating your home business, then you may find that your hair
turning gray or disappearing altogether. But, gray hair is a
sign of character, right.

I am venturing to guess that the person who devised the door
lock for the inside of the house did so because he had toddlers
in his own home. Inside door locks should only be utilized when
you are making that important phone call and your toddler is
screaming for your attention. At all other times, your door
should remain unlocked with your door open.

Develop a routine with your children for meal times, naptimes,
and play times. Work these times into your work schedule and
adhere to them. If you fail to keep appointments with your
children, your children will have less respect for your work and
do more to prevent you from the completion of your work.

Don't be afraid to let your children sit in your lap while you
are working. It helps them to feel wanted and it helps them to
be a part of your daily life. There are times when it is okay
for them to be sitting in your lap while you work, and at other
times you need them out of your lap. Don't be afraid to tell
them to get down and go play or read a book so that you can
resume your work.

Permit your children to have their toys in your office. Often
they will sit contently and play while you work. Just knowing
you are near is enough to keep them happy.

Be prepared to take an hourly break to deal with your toddler.
Try to do potty breaks at your hourly break and to do drink
refills. This can help your child grow into a routine that will
work well with your home business. At each break, spend a few
minutes with your child giving hugs and kisses and talking with
your child about what he or she wants to talk about.

Toddlers don't always do well with the routine, so be prepared
to take a few minutes when needed to give the attention that
your child so desperately needs in the moment.

IN CONCLUSION

I hope these tips serve to help you in the challenge of
operating a successful home business.

My home business permits me to fulfill my financial obligations
*AND* see my children grow up. I would never contemplate trading
my home business for another kind of business. Even with the
added challenges of dealing with toddlers in my home office, the
upsides far outweigh the downsides.

Growing my own home business with children around has definitely
given me a new respect for all people who successfully run a
home business with kids in the work environment. I tip my hat to
you... You deserve it!

About the author:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans owns the Home Business Resource Directory where
you can find everything you'll ever need to start, run and grow
a home based business at: http://www.Home-Business.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------

15-Minute De-Frazzlers for Families
by Susie Michelle Cortright, http://www.momscape.com

Here are a week's worth of quick family de-frazzlers. They were created, not with the expectation that you will do each
activity on its designated day, but, rather, to remind you that, every day, you have 15 very special minutes to fill.
Fifteen minutes expressly to nurture your children, your spouse, and yourself in a special way.

Day One
This evening, just before the sun goes down, gather your family to watch the sunset. The only rule: no one speaks
until the sun has completely nestled into the horizon. Use the quiet time to meditate and reflect on the importance
of slowing down.

Day Two
Make a loved one's day: Write a note, have the kids draw pictures, copy some home videos, or tape record the kids singing and laughing. Pack it up and mail it to your oldest relative.

Day Three
No cooking tonight! Order a pizza and enjoy it on the living room floor, picnic style) with your kids.

Day Four
Encourage your children to read their favorite comics to you this morning.

Day Five
Write three pages in your journal regarding any challenge your family is currently facing. Write as quickly as you can without picking up your pen or crossing anything out. This is a powerful tool for problem-solving and for developing a sense of trust in yourself, as you tap the wisdom of your own mind.

Day Six
As you go about your day with your family, be on the lookout for ten positive, beautiful things about each of them, your home, or your home life that you haven't noticed before. Challenge yourself to maintain this heightened awareness.

Day Seven
Brainstorm at least five of your own family de-frazzlers: brief activities that will nurture your spirit while helping
you reconnect with your family.

A meaningful and fulfilled life can be surprising simple. Start with a few moments each day specially devoted to
renewing your spirit--and your emphasis on the gifts in your life.

Copyright 2003 Susie Michelle Cortright

This article is an excerpt from Soul Snacks for Families, available at http://www.momscape.com/soulsnacks/
Visit http://www.momscape.com today and get Susie's *free* course-by-email "6 Days to Less Stress."
Attn webmasters: You may reprint this article (or any other article at http://www.momscape.com/articles/reprints.htm ) in your newsletter or website as long as this resource box is included.

The hot and hazy days of July are here! Some of you are planning lazy
days at a cottage this summer, while others are preparing for road
trips. Many of you are simply enjoying the weather by lounging in
your outdoor space at home. No matter where you are, however, the
parents and grandparents among you are wondering how to avert the
common refrain of children let loose from school: "I'm bored!"

Summer days were made for playing. I remember growing up in the `50s and early `60s, spending hours engrossed in board games, tile games and cards while a breeze blew across the porch.

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, whatever the weather, whatever your age group, dominoes are the perfect activity. Dominoes are especially great because they don't blow away like Monopoly money, they're small and portable, and they don't break.

Although tile games have been in existence in China for about 1,000 years, the European domino set with which we are most familiar in the western world first came into use in Italy around 300 years ago. It is from these European roots that we take the word "domino" which in Italy and France refers to a black hooded cloak, lined with white, once worn by priests.

The traditional European domino set consists of 28 black and white pieces. Each domino originally represented one of the 21 results of throwing two dice. One half of the tile is set with the pips from one die and the other half contains the pips from the second die. In addition, there are seven dominoes with the values that result from throwing a single die with the other half of the tile left blank.

This traditional set is called a double six set, since the highest tile is - well, a double six. There are larger sets available -
double nine has 55 tiles; double twelve has 91 and double fifteen, a whopping 136. The double six set provides the fastest, easiest games with the larger sets providing greater challenge and greater time requirements. Our double fifteen games usually last one to two hours.

There are many different games that can be played with dominoes. Here's a small sample. For detailed instructions on playing each game, visit http://www.paradiseporch.com/domino.php

For very young children, you may wish to use a set of dominoes with pictures rather than dots. As children learn to count, you can teach them the fast, simple games of Draw or Block. As they master additional skills, they can move on to Concentration or the popular Five-up. Chicken Foot is a simple game played with a double nine set.

Older children and adults will no doubt enjoy a game of Mexican Train, which is usually played with a set of double twelves or higher. Many adults also relish the bidding strategy of Texas 42, a card game converted to dominoes in the 1960s.

The possibilities with dominoes are seemingly endless - there are countless games with numerous regional and national variations. Why not pass down the knowledge of this simple fun to your children or grandchildren - or make your next adult get-together a domino night? It's perfect outdoor fun.

Debbie Rodgers owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to
helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich
them. Visit her on the web at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free
report on "Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space".
Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com

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Watch a movie--Hollywood Video offers free rentals of children's movies. My daughter and I like to get Chinese food and a movie and have a "sleep over" in the living room.

Bake/cook something-cookies, cake, bread, or even make meals together. You and your child will spend quality time and your child will learn how to cook. Be patient, children find the kitchen to be a whole collection of interesting stuff and children do love to play in dough.

Take a walk or bike ride-Get some exercise together and get away from the TV, phone, stereo, and computer and spend uninterrupted time together. The exercise and conversation will ease excess energy and allow you to connect with your child.

Throw a ball back and forth-grab a couple mits and a softball and go play catch. If you don't like softball, throw a Frisbee or football or whatever sport your child likes.

Play computer games-I suggest doing this without going online. Hoyle's game chest has all sorts of neat games like yahtzee and snakes and ladders. You Don't Know Jack provides light family fun. Wheel of Fortune is a great one to promote problem solving skills and everyone loves to play. Tetris is fun for all and promotes spatial thinking and problem solving not to mention hand eye co-ordination.

Family game night-Before what is known as the technological revolution there were board games with pieces you touch and had to

move yourself. You chose someone to be banker in Monopoly and had to keep track of your own money. Bring back the past time of families playing a hot game of Monopoly or Sorry or any other game you like. These games teach strategy and logical thinking skills. They also open the concept of considering all ones options before making a decision. You can choose games which require the use of skills you want to build in your child such as counting, money management, investments, or life decisions.

Eat at the table-Sound Simple--it really isn't for so many families. I'm not sure when it happened but the TV replaced conversation and somehow we stopped eating together or we ate together in front of the TV. I remember dinner time when I was growing up. We always ate at the table. It is here we discussed our days and my parents could check up on me. In today's fast moving world and with extra curricular activities eating together every night is probably not possible. Pick one night, maybe Sunday, make a family favorite, eat, talk, and clean up together . My daughter particularly likes to have candle lit dinners which adds a special touch.

In the end, it doesn't matter what you choose as long as you choose something. The time you take now will be remembered by your children as they grow older and bring them comfort. It will also allow you to keep in touch with your kids. After all parents are the anti drug. Please go to their web site for more information about how spending time with your children is vital in keeping them off drugs and into positive activates.

Written by Monique Noble Edmonds

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Have you ever noticed how we tend to be kinder to strangers than our own family members? Have you noticed how we can easily forgive a friend, yet hold a grudge towards our own flesh and blood? I was thinking about this as I came across a date to be remembered, for a party book I am writing. Did you know that May 5th is the start of Family week?

As I sat and pondered what to write, I couldn't help but contemplate over this momentous occasion that I didn't even know existed. How often do we hurry about our daily lives, forgetting as much as a thank you to the ones that live in our own homes? What about the times our mothers bandaged our knees or took vacation days to care for us because we were sick? What about the times our spouse gave up a day of golf to work overtime, so little Jimmy could get braces? Or the times that our children did some act of kindness, only to have us brush it off for more important tasks?

Let's face it, life can be tough on our families, as it pulls us in twenty different directions. Why not block the week of May 5th, on your calendar, to cherish your family members. And to help you do just that, I have included some wonderful ideas:

Starting on Monday, start a new family tradition... something that would take no more and no less time than you already have in your day. At dinner, start with a family prayer. In my family, we say an old fashioned prayer, "God is good, God is great." with a twist. We play round robin, where each member says a verse of the prayer. After our prayer, whilst we eat, each person takes turns telling us the high and low of their day. I love this part of the day most of all, because through this game of Hi/Low, I have really gotten to know my kids better and let me tell you it works better than asking, "How was your day?"

On Tuesday, have the family sit down to write thank you notes to distant relatives. In a one hour time frame, allow each member of the family to pick whom they would write. But make sure each member picks someone different to write to. Then have them share one cherished memory with the person whom he or she is writing.

On Wednesday, gather the family around to play a board game or two. To put an end to fighting over who gets to choose the game, write every game you have down on a 5 inch by 5 inch piece of paper then place in a jar and roll a die; the highest number picks. If you choose to do this every Wednesday, get another jar to place the picked board games in and rotate family members for picking from the jar.

On Thursday, consider taking the family to the park for a picnic dinner. If you have an active family, this would be a great time to have some sack races, play catch, or take a nature walk. Walking also has a way to open up the lines of communication.

On Friday, take the family out for the evening to the movies, a concert, or a theatrical play.

On Saturday, invite the extended family members that live near you over for a Potluck Dinner. Ask each guest to bring his or her favorite meal and be prepared to tell why. Set the table so that each family member is sitting by an extended family member. Place a seating card with each person's name where you would like each person to sit. Inside the card, write one sentence or paragraph about why that person is special to you.

On Sunday, attend church and take the grand-parents out to brunch. When you sit down at to the meal, give them a picture of you when you were little and explain why that day meant so much to you.

Alyice Edrich is a copywriter, freelance writer, simple web designer, and discount telecommunications agent. She is also the Editor-in-Chief for The Dabbling Mum.com - - An Online Magazine for BUSY