These days, working moms are the rule, not the exception. However, for moms with startups, I believe it’s even more challenging as failure can mean losing not only your job but also your whole business. Motherhood and work have been two of my favorite topics for the last 4 years and I thought I had it under control until recently. Two separate incidents gave me cause to reconsider.

I had planned an important meeting with a client three months in advance. The day of the meeting, my baby boy woke up with both a fever of 102 and a horrible cough. He sounded like an 80 year old grandpa with emphysema. Although either my mom or nanny could have covered, I knew this was a mom’s job. Remembering the comforting feeling of having my own mom next to me on the occasions I was sick as a child, I didn’t hesitate to skip the meeting and spend the day with my son.

A few days later, the sound of my daughter yelling woke me up in the middle of the night. After calming down, she told me about the nightmare that had upset her so much. She dreamt that I was on an airplane and that she was running towards me but couldn’t catch me…. No need to be Freud to interpret that one.

Although I try to take a simple and practical approach to managing both my family and business, moments like these remind me of how complex that juggling act can be. Here are some tips for other moms building their businesses to try and prevent the balls from hitting the floor:

  1. As a business owner, leverage the control you have over your schedule to create opportunities to spend time with your husband and children. Maintaining consistency in this regard helps both at home and in the office. For your kids, it adds to their sense of security. For your employees, it sets expectations on when they will have face time with you.
  2. Use your smart phone to stay connected after hours or to keep up with work while at the park with the kids. Just don’t over do it as your kids will quickly notice if you’re paying more attention to your phone than to them.
  3. Get help. Family and friends are great resources to take care of the kids while you must work or travel. Also, I highly recommend prioritizing hiring a part time nanny as part of your budget.
  4. The weekends are sacred.
  5. Kids are sensitive to your feelings. They know when you are frustrated or distracted. Avoid working when they just want to be with you. Create opportunities to knock out a couple of tasks while they nap or watch a movie.
  6. Plan dates and trips with your husband into your schedule. Let’s face it, committing time to nurture your marriage is higher priority than spontaneity at this point. Once it’s booked, you’ll look forward to the time with your favorite adult. Trips with your husband alone are important chances to talk, bond and have some well-deserved fun. My husband and I take at least 3 small trips a year and 1 long trip. We are happy!
  7. Business trips. As hard as it sounds, try to go and come back the same day. Even though this is hard on you, it minimizes the disruptions at home. I once made Miami-Seattle a day trip. Even though I thought I might collapse, giving my babies a kiss when I arrived made it all worth it.
  8. Keep looking for ways to maximize the quality of your work and family time.

As I work on building Annette, my kids continue to the biggest source of both inspiration and surprises. So, I expect this topic to continue to be my favorite for the foreseeable future. I would love to hear tips from other moms handling the same issues.

P.S: I love when moms at the park ask me:Sharon, do you work?