Please can I have some advice re being self empoyed with children?

[lostinnappies]

I have been self employed before (I ran my own cafe) and now that I have completed my family I would like to be open a similar business again.

I will have to work reduced hours so that I will be able to bablance my home life (when I ran my own business last time it was before kids).

DH is suportive but is worried that a business would 'consume' me. Our DCs are still little and not in full time education yet.

I really want to it for me but equally don't want to be selfish if it is going to affect the family in a negative way. I have been a SAHM mum for almost 3 years now.

What i want to know is for those of you who work for yourselves outside of your home in catering/shops etc do you find it terribly stressful or is it manageable.

Anything you can think of would be great.

Thanks

I would say its fairly stressful but manageable!
I usually work mornings and have staff to do afternoons (staff are very flexible and will happily change hours to let me have days off when needed, or when I need to go to school plays etc. Both my kids are in full time school, so slightly different to you. When needed, I can easily brings kids to work for anything up to half a day (they love "helping").
Also, for the last few years I've been a lone parent. I have lots of help from friends and family with the childcare side of things, they also help out at work when I need to nip out for half an hour etc.
Work does seep over into homelife, its inevitable in my case, but I try to limit this to when kids have gone to bed.
On balance I wouldn't change my job for anything, it works great for me, and is very flexible, as do my kids.

thanks knickknack

last time it felt as though i had nothing to lose as it was just me and dh now the kiddies are involved it seems alot more serious if that makes sense.

we are at lease signing stage and i am having a wobble.

Tippy, I think you need to post your ad on this section and pay the fee