How do you manage an Etsy shop and a family?

[Former_Member]

I have two little girls at home and the hardest part is trying to find a balance. Would love to hear how others are doing it!

[Former_Member]

Please I have a 10 month old boy and my issue is time !! I have to craft at night and manage pics and posts at nap time or when Yo gabba gabba is on lol !!

[Former_Member]

I hear ya, I have two children...ages 14 and 11. We homeschool our 14 year old, I work a seasonal job, substitute at another place during the off season and have my business that I am constantly working on. My typical day:

get up before the family does (at least an hour to check on emails, network my business)
get my hubby and daughter out the door
tidy up, shower, get son up
help son with homework in between laundry, cleaning and chores
run errands
take dear son to walk at the park (he has an exercise component to homeschooling)
pick up dear daughter
help her with homework
fix dinner
work more on my business (post pics, get orders ready)
tidy up again
bed...exhaustion takes over


that is all done on the days that I am off from my job/jobs...on the days that I work, life gets really hectic and just busy busy busy..

thank you all for reading! I am excited to see how all of you amazing folks do everything
hugs!

[Former_Member]

I have 3 girls, 16,13 and 3, a husband and a day job!
My biggest problem seems to be time as well. So
i will be keeping my eye on this thread for advice!!

[JillAllenDesign]

I have 4 children, 1 husband and 1 dog...3 are girls and 1 boy. Most of the time I don't know if I'm coming or going! Working from home is a love hate relationship for me. I love being home, but hate being alone with no one to brainstorm or talk too. I am very new to etsy, I'm very happy to join this team and maybe make a few friends. Thank you so much for this post.

[JillAllenDesign]

I also have my own interior design business, but since the bust of the economy I started making jewelry. And am so eager to hear your stories.

[MyMemoryBoxes]

I have two girls - age 19 (at college) and 17, plus my husband and a dog. I typically get ready for my "day job" with an extra hour to take care of e mails, check my shop, activity feed, etc. After work I run errands, purchase supplies, walk the dog , get dinner ready and then after dinner work on my shop, or create new product.

[Former_Member]

Hi! I have triplets and a full-time day job! I do a lot of work on the weekends. I am a night owl. Can't get me to rise before the last minute I need to be up in order to have just enough time to get ready. In the evening, I check emails and do quick site updates. I am a list maker, to be sure. Then, I lose one list and start another! HA! I do most of the computer work in the evening when kids and hubby are watching TV (my computer desk is in the living room, so that is nice), or I put my laptop on and sit on the couch with them. I've had a few lucky days off of work in the last couple of weeks, so I spend hours on the computer getting our new website updated. I hope to create more than that today. Gotta get off of here to go sew or something! :)
I look forward to a great exchange of ideas.
Michelle

[JillAllenDesign]

Michelle sounds so familiar:-)

[JillAllenDesign]

Michelle ..wow your stuff is cool..and would sell here in south Ga

[Former_Member]

love to read about what other people go through like me!

[Former_Member]

Jill Allen - thanks! We don't have enough inventory to travel towards the big cities to do shows. Haven't even done one here yet. I work in Blairsville, GA, near Blue Ridge, in the extreme northern part of GA.
I'd like to ask how many folks are staying home and balancing crafting and mommying and how many are balancing working outside the home and crafting and mommying. I'm debating now, with DH's new job, to stay home, but am unsure. I tend to get bored/depressed/isolated. But, now that we have a craft business I may do okay. BUT, how much of my time would go towards household duties and computer work? Ugh. Decisions. Like to hear how you came to the decision to stay home or work outside?!?
Thanks

[Former_Member]

I do my crafting and creating before the kids get up and after the kids go to bed. It helps that I can get by on 5-6 hours of sleep. Ironically my Etsy shop is actually what gives me balance in the busyness. Occasionally I squeeze in a few creative moments during the day at the kitchen table when we are not homeschooling and my daycare kids are on free play.

[SweetSambolina]

I still work my day job, run my Etsy shop and have a cake/dessert business.

My little one is 14, so she is pretty much self sufficient, except all the sports she's involved in- we pretty much have some sort of practice every day (I take stuff to assemble/glue while I'm waiting). And hubby helps too.

I work a 10 hr shift at my day job, come home, taxi my daughter around, work in my studio on orders for 3-4 hrs and then off to bed for usually 4-5 hrs of sleep. Lucky I'm off on Friday's and that's my catch up day.

My hubby helps out with dinnner, etc.