To think I’m silly for starting a business with 2 young kids?

[Anothergirl20384747]

I have a 2-year-old who attends nursery three days a week and a 6-month-old. After my first child, I ended up in a low-paid part-time role following redundancy on maternity leave, and my income has dropped significantly. I’ve always wanted to be self-employed as it’s the only way I can earn more while having flexibility. Although my partner earns above average, we’re still struggling financially with the cost of living and me now being on SMP.

When my second reached around three months (she’s a good sleeper), I felt on top of things and bored, so I started a business two months ago. I’m usually very organised and good at juggling.

Now I feel completely overwhelmed. I haven’t exercised in weeks, which is vital for my mental health. I don’t want to give up on the business as I can’t find well-paid part-time work, and returning to employment would likely make me unhappy as it doesn’t suit me.

I feel like I’ve gone from bored to drowning very quickly and would really love to hear from other mums who’ve made self-employment work with young children, and whether it really is possible to fit it all in.

YANBU, I think quite a lot of people do do it. Can you afford to get in someone to help you out, at least for a bit? Maybe find a student to work p/t?

Money is really tight. I could afford a couple of hours a week for some childcare for the baby but it would blow through my entire savings pot quite quickly! Childcare, more specifically the money for childcare for the youngest is the issue here. I want to break the cycle of being broke by starting a business but I can’t afford to get it off the ground it feels!

Steph from Don't Buy Her Flowers did it and has done podcasts episodes and blog posts about it. Was definitely a struggle and she had a third baby in the midst of the early-ish days too. But it's been really successful and she's actually just sold it (ironically to a flower delivery brand).

Thank you I’ll give her podcasts listen!

You can absolutely make self employment work with small children. Dh quit his job and started a business when dd was 2 months old (and our only other income was my maternity allowance 😬). That was 12 years ago and the business averages about £70k a month in turnover.

BUT you need childcare in place. You can’t be a good, present parent and a solid, reliable business owner at the same time with no childcare in place. You’ll be doing everything badly. Trust those of us who had no choice to balance all the spinning plates during COVID. My toddler had to watch 8 solid hours a day of Blippi for me to hang on to my job. It’s no good for anyone.

Childcare doesn’t have to be nursery. It can be your partner, your family, a friend who will trade off having your baby if you have hers. But you need reliable working hours to focus and your baby needs you properly present.

Yes this is what I’m lacking, my mum is 3 hours away and mother in law works full time still. I don’t really have any friends that have the capacity to take my child as well as their own! I do have my partner for weekends as my business will involve Saturday appointments and a friend having her for 2 hours each week but it’s just not enough really. I have less than ideal options but I don’t want to leave my DD with this person unless I really needed to for example in an emergency! (She is older and not very patient/consistent with kids)

It's really hard to know if YABU without knowing what the business is? I dont know what your plan is, what your overheads are, what the hours are like, what you charge, whether you can work in evenings when DH is home so childcare is needed, what the demand for your services are blah blah blah...

So all i can say - is that very rarely, can you have it all. I think you are possibily being unrealistic to imagine you can start a business with 2 babies, have time to exercise, to cook, clean, see family and friends, have a healthy marriage, keep on top of life admin etc... Could you possibly return to a part time role employed, whilst forming a plan in the background to take on when your youngest is able to go to nursery funded?

If it was me; I'd probably do my best to squeeze it all in - but I wouldn't be surprised if you find other parts of your life going to rack and ruin! It depends on how motivated you are - can you get up at 5am to exercise and start work at 6am to do a short stint before DH has to leave for work? Then return to working in the evenings? Will you be mortified if your house looks like a bombs hit it because youre having to work 40 hours for yourself and not 20 hours for someone else?

Sorry like I said; its really hard to know what to advise when I dont know if you want to be set up as a nail technician, PR advisor, caterer, journalist, actuary or butterfly physiotherapist!?