Freelance Working Positives!

[easterhols]

Hi, I work freelance, have been very reluctant to grow business whilst DC are little. ds starts school in Sept, dd school Sep 2016. So, 18 months to go! Then I want to ramp it up - either with existing client or by adding more clients (if I'm lucky of course). Finding it all very difficult at moment. Just want to know really, for those of you who freelance with school age DC, what you really like about it - and whether you have found it considerably better/easier once the DC started school. Looking for happy positive stories of how lovely your working days are with DC at school - need motivating to get me through the next 18 months. (I do have childcare in place at moment but I just find it v hard balancing owning business with pre-school age DC). Thanks!

I decided not to start my business properly until my DC were both at school.
It works really well, I do drop off every day and pick up most days ( DH does it if I can't as he is self employed too). I have never missed a Harvest Festival or similar and can go in and help on occasions too.
My current contract is only 4 hours per day and I earn a lot from it so can meet friends for lunch or be in for deliveries etc.
I need to be disciplined to get things done and occasionally I need to do an evening call but the DC are now 6 and 10 and can be relied upon to leave me in peace for short periods - if my home office door is closed they mustn't disturb me unless there is actual blood!!!
School holidays are harder but I take time off and also find that if they go to the inlaws for 3 days I can work 9-5 and take the other 2 days off. I have never used paid childcare except for the teenager next door for a few hours.
Basically it's brilliant

I think it is much easier when the children go to school, they make lots of new friends and I always encouraged play dates, I always made sure I invited several kids over at once then wait for the reciprocal invites to come back which meant I could work longer hours, sneaky but it worked. I was also friendly at the school gates and offered to help other mums where I could which meant they were willing to help me out when I needed it. I found it was much easier to doo home based work than office based if my child was ill for example, rather than having to leave work for the day I could pick her up, put a film on and do whatever basic bits I needed doing urgently then maybe catch up at night or early in the morning. there are pros and cons but for me it is freelance all the way.

thanks so much for the replies so far...just what I needed to hear! Your working days sound fab....I just need to stick with it...I'll get there!

I use wrap around childcare, so I am not doing exactly what are you hoping to do (working school hours- I think) but I would agree with posters above the kids being older makes a difference. You can do playdates and childcare swops and they will sit and watch TV/a film without needing too much attention.

You won't always be changing a bottom (the baby's) whilst on the phone to a client in a softplay centre on your 'day off'...

I mainly work 8 - 6 x 4 days a week, but I do have flex in that to get to school meetings etc.

I use holiday clubs etc during the holidays but I try to work less in the holidays to allow DC time.

There are lots of ppl on this board that work school hours and manage to have most of the hols off too by working at night/using a little childcare. The issue for me is that I need to have flex for attending meetings and I want enough hours to potentially earn what I need/want.

I think the balance is always difficult and one of the downsides of being self-employed. Try to hang onto the positives - write them down somewhere - for when it is tough.

Also, if you are too busy (which is sounds like you might be) for the time you have, have you looked at outsourcing some stuff? A VA (Virtual Assistant) might be able to pick up some of what you are doing to ensure the hours you work are spent earning/being more productive. Or outsource your accounts, marketing, whatever..