Last Updated on December 18, 2018 by Jessica Adams
For decades women have been fed the ludicrous notion that at some point in their life, they will come to a crossroads. At this apparent juncture, they must choose the path of a mother, for the sake of this piece we’ll envision June Cleaver making time for family at the holidays.
Over 70% of mothers with children under the age of eighteen also work full time. In fact, the surge of women entrepreneurs over the past decade took place, ironically, because they wanted to be at home to help raise their own children.
Or they chose the path of a career woman, who, in this piece, is an entrepreneur. A woman is perfectly capable of balancing parenthood and a successful career!
She is also free to choose either or both since by no means are the two mutually exclusive. It’s all about finding the right balance between work and family, especially around the holidays.
When Your Home Office Becomes a Guest Room For the Holidays
Imagine you’re hosting your in-laws who will be staying in the “guest room” (aka, your home office). What if you’re like me and find yourself getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom but then you remember something.
Next thing you know you end up in your office for over an hour, working on a new project?! That will be difficult to do with your in-laws literally IN your office. Fortunately, having your partner or maybe children, all of your friends over, this is a great time to show them your incredible setup.
Show them what the laptop lifestyle really looks like when you put in a few hours of work on the day after Christmas in your pajamas! Most importantly, show them that even if you pop into your office to get back to a few emails, you’re still available to make the most time for family at the holidays, as an entrepreneur!
How to Make the Most Time
For Family At The Holidays,
As an Entrepreneur
Walk the Line
There are going to be times when this work/life balancing act is tough. Over the holidays, it’s an especially precarious balancing act. Our salaried friends and relatives are likely enjoying some saved up vacation time at home over the holidays.
Meanwhile, us entrepreneurs are rarely allowed such a concession. Well, it’s not that we’re not allowed, I mean, we make the rules, don’t we? But because of our already uber-flexible daily schedules, we don’t exactly take chunks of time off for any reason. It’s the trade-off if you will.
But just because a woman runs her own business doesn’t mean that she can’t free up time to spend with those who matter most to her over the holidays. She just might have to answer a call here and there.
For the entrepreneurial mama who gets to never miss a soccer game in exchange for answering those random client calls during “vacation time”, it’s a no-brainer.
But Do Try to Lighten the Load For You and Your Business
Many entrepreneurs are slow to trust. After all, they’ve built their own business and its reputation rests on the ability to do things their way. But while this is commendable and comes from a place of passion and perfectionism, it can be detrimental to their enterprise and their quality of life.
Even with the holidays fast approaching, it’s not too late to lighten the load for your business or yourself. If you haven’t already considered it, the holiday period is a great time to give outsourcing a trial run.
Whether you’re hoping for greater marketing reach or robust IT support outsourcing can lighten the load without compromising the standards upon which you’ve built your business. Try putting your faith and trust in your employees to hold down the fort while you take some much needed time off.
Not only will this ease some of your professional stress, but it will also help them to grow and flourish in their position within your company. If you place your trust in others, it will be rewarded.
Take Your Kids to Work (Even if They Technically Live There)
Some women find that taking their kids to work with them is really good for several reasons. On the one hand, it’s beneficial for kids to see their parents in a professional context. It’s also illuminating for them to see the way you command the respect and deference of your employees. This scenario, of course, is geared toward mammas who work at work.
It shouldn’t be any different if you’re an entrepreneur who works from home. In fact, in this particular setting, you are a business owner, the #bosslady. Show your kids or nieces & nephews, that your job is just as important and actually, quite demanding from your home office! For daughters, this can be incredibly empowering to see their mother doing what she wants to do.
For sons, it can show them the value that powerful women bring to the world of work and can help them grow up with positive gender values. Explain to them that all the family events you’re able to attend are because of this job that you do in your pajamas! They’ll love your job even more.
Set Clear Boundaries
Finally, the holidays are a time when it’s especially important to set boundaries. To draw a clear distinction between “home time” and “work time”. While you technically live at the same address as your business, this doesn’t mean that all you do, while you’re there, is work!
I’m sure this is just a big a point of contention as it is on any other day. You have to be strict and consistent with your schedule, effectively separating your job from your home. And if that’s not your day-to-day mantra, the holidays are a time when you must draw the line.
For example, if you know you have three small things to do over the course of a week with your family, try to do them all at once and get it over with. But if you can’t, then just sneak away for a little at a time, throughout the week. But don’t be too long each time!
This time is all about making time for family at the holidays, as an entrepreneur and a mother… Because you know damn well that you can juggle both if it’s what you truly want for yourself.
Happy Holidays to Your & Yours!
Jessica Rose Adams
Founder, Alegria’s Muse
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