Creating Your Mom Statement

I find myself struggling to find the right balance of being a work at home Mum and A stay at home Mum all in one!!! I find it difficult some days as my Babe is under 2years and I have 3 school age children also. I think this is the perfect idea!!! Thank you!

Great idea! I'm in my final trimester of my first pregnancy now, and planning on crafting as much as possible before baby comes so that I can take a break when baby comes without letting the business die completely. But I'm sure that all my priorities are about to change massively! Might write a mom statement asap! x

It is all such a balancing act, trying to fit everything in. Will definitely look into this book! Thank you!

Hire an "Intern" ladies!! They are a Godsend:)

Interesting!

the work-life balance is vital to incorporate into your "mom mission" statement and so many people forget to do that!!!! thank you for the reminder! despite all of the obstacles - trying to wield my torch between feedings and diaper changes, for example - i found that rising to the challenge of balancing mother/wifehood and running my small business was a huge inspiration for me. as i head into the second trimester of my second pregnancy, i know that there are going to be even bigger challenges and hopefully, i am up to meeting them.

It's not easy running business being mom and vice versa :) How to find balance? Good question. I'd read this book. thank you!

Wow. This is good. I'm a mother of three young children as well. I started the Etsy business when I was pregnant with my second. Now I have a 6yo, 3.5yo, and 7mo baby. Definitely looking into the mom statement thing. :)

Starting an Etsy shop was an idea my 18-year-old-at-the-time daughter had. So I never had to worry about not spending enough time with my kids, they were both grown. PolClary has actually meant we spend more time together. Photoshoots are great fun, and we like brainstorming together. Time to yourself and time to work on your business are important, especially when your kids are young. I have to say, as a crafter, my kids were an inspiration. I knit them clothing and made costumes for them. These days, I do the same with my nephews, I love giving them a toy and a new spencer for their birthday. My niece actually called up a while back to ask if I could make one of them longer, because her son insisted on wearing it to school and it was getting too short! So let your kids be an inspiration. And in turn, inspire them to like handmade!

I started my etsy shop when I was still a full time nurse. Now, I have quit my day job to devote the "work" time to my home business and also my four and eight year olds. So far, it's been okay since my four year old attends pre-school, but the difficult task will come when summer begins and they are both home all day! I'm already drafting my mom statement in my head. Thanks so much! Great post!

My Mom Statement would definitely reflect that who I am is just as important as who my Kids are. If I am not fulfilling my needs and goals as an Artist, my Mommy-ing suffers as well - because I am not happy. When the balance is there - when I have a few hours in the studio while they are at school - I am more Present during mommy time. Hopefully, my children will grow to appreciate who I am as an Artist, as much as they appreciate me as a Mother.

I love the idea of a mom statement. I am going to post the perfect picture that shows my mom sitting on an artist's bench with the word generosity plastered across it. Now that my kids are teenagers I see the benefits for my kids of not only having a mother around but two grandmothers as well. The grandmothers are sharing their insights and time with them. The grandmothers are giving them there first paying jobs. Their words of encouragement can not be beat.

Such an interesting articel! Being a mom is definitely a full time job, so a mission statement just goes hand in hand!!

This has brought all the memories flooding back - I too closed my eyes and tried to act as if nothing had happened or was going to happen! If only someone had suggested a Mom Statement - what a great way to work out a work-life balance

Great article ! Thanks for the good advice. I'm a mother of three and I home school my youngest. The only way I can do this is to be very structured or it all falls apart. Thank you !

This is a great idea! I don't have kids at the moment, I'm waiting until I have a bit more financial stability, but I have always worried about having a home based business and children. This is a good way to help balance the two!

Use a teenager as labor whenever possible. For example, for Mother's Day I've got him making his own meals all weekend! My Mom statement would be to exert myself as little as possible, but unfortunately, it doesn't work out that way.

Awesome article . Such a great idea!

Terrific article! I was so poorly during my pregnancy I stopped drawing completely but having a baby inspired me and I started again when my son was 10 weeks old. Now I draw every day again!

My kids are my biggest inspirations! Many pieces in my shop have been designed by first making them for my daughter & both my children help me find four leaf clovers for my other jewelry shop, asluckwouldhaveit. I'm passing down my love of handmade to the next generation & giving my children the encouragement to do what they dream. I enjoy every minute watching them learn & seeing that seed of creativity grow from within that I planted in them.

As a mom of three with two only just in preschool, I do have to say I found my ideal work ethic was to be mom full time and close my etsy shop for the duration. Not a great scenario, but a realistic one at that point in time. However ......something magical happens to babies. They grow! Handling a business when they go to school actually sounds possible! (providing i ignore all the child induced detritus and totally forget about housekeeping). My mission is always going to be, "don't try to be superwoman. Don't get sucked in by superwomen"...they probably have massive families who will babysit for free, or can afford a cleaner. ..or a zillion other really handy reasons that allow them to do what they do. Right now I'm supermom..anything else is a bonus. <3

I agree it is hard to balance...Sometimes I feel like my Hubby still thinks of me as a stay at home mom who he supports, even though for the last two years I have been pulling my own through my etsy shop, and this last year I even made more than him! Sometimes when the day is done I realize I accomplished taking care of the kids (4 and 18 months) and running my shop and painting comes after the kids go to bed...and that is why the laundry is never done and the dishes sometimes wait until the end of the day. I am mystified that I get anything at all done!

It is incredibly difficult to manage a successful online business from home while also being a mother. My etsy business started before I became pregnant and continued during and after. Being a work-at-home mom means working while distracted and constantly multi-tasking. It is exhausting. I agree - it is very important to set limits, decide what you can and can't handle and what will be 'good enough.' Set break times and take them. And, if you can -- hire help. Even for just a few hours a week, someone else to join you to help alleviate the load can be a huge relief. If your kids are too young still for preschool, or you are doing 'preschool' at home (like I am), an extra child-friendly helper who can come over a few times a week is an absolute godsend. I used to think that needing help meant that I was failing as a mother. Not so, not so! And, it is totally ok that housekeeping falls by the wayside if it means you get to spend quality time with your kiddos. No child is going to complain that the house was dirty, but they will remember mom being too busy to play.

I just ordered the book and I can't wait to read it! I have a 4 and 1 year old and I really need some insight on how to maintain my loving and nurturing role as a mother while trying to expand my creative business on Etsy. Thanks so much for sharing!

This is brilliant. I'm going to do this and try to minimize the stressI feel when my hands are covered in grout and my three medium-to small size people need my attention.

Interesting!

It is tough to find balance but somehow it just works for me. I have two kids (7 and 2 months), solely run my etsy shop, and I just finished up my RN nursing degree. I think about what I want to accomplish for the day and try to do it. If I can't then oh well. I get it done the next day =)

This is an ongoing struggle that I face mentally as well as physically daily! My two year old tries to "help" where he can but I do most of my work when he is asleep. I am due with our second in July and have been trying to find ways to be sure that I am taking care of my body and baby in a better fashion. I am fortunate to have an amazing husband who is such a large part of the picture when it comes to finding balance. I guess I wrote a mom statement a few months ago without knowing it. I realized one day that I needed to have a clear way to define to my husband what I needed from him. As soon as he knew it he stepped up to the plate!

I remember filling in my tax return the day before I gave birth! Every spare moment is working, whether painting, or admin, and a newborn was massively easier to fit work around than a busy toddler!!

Hello! This is Cat Seto (from Mom,Inc.) I just wanted to wish all of you a very Happy Mother's Day! I am so touched in reading all of your comments. I am inspired hearing about your juggling and spirit to continue to create and build something for yourself and for your family. Bravo! Hope you are all giving yourselves one big toast today. xoxo, Cat

Kristina from Krystyna81 says: My Mom Statement would definitely reflect that who I am is just as important as who my Kids are. If I am not fulfilling my needs and goals as an Artist, my Mommy-ing suffers as well - because I am not happy. --------------------------------- WORD. i admit i find it a little silly to think in terms of a 'mom' statement. how about a 'person' statement: i want to spend my time doing interesting, enjoyable things. i encourage my kids to do likewise. these aren't mutually exclusive propositions, nor must they always intersect. you find the time for what's important, and that can include any combination of work, kids, hobbies, and naps.

just reading all of these and Cat's statement I appreciate all the more, all of the mothers in this world who are constantly balancing their lives between children, work, art and craft. We have entered a new world where we can do it all with grace and love and still be there for ourselves with our passions and there for our children with our love. I just want to say happy mothers day to you and all who wrote here and are mothers on Etsy. Thank you Etsy for giving us all a chance to do it all!

I am a Grandma now, reading about the strength of the generation of younger mothers is inspiring. I applaud you all for finding your strength, more than surviving the trials of your lives, but becoming the role models for the future. We live in a society(wherever on Earth you live) where strength through adversity will have to be your legacy. Reading that most of you are mothers, I now have faith that throughyour example, your children will overcome whatever difficulties they will encounter. Just happens to be MOTHERS DAY, so kudos from someone who envoys your strength and example. Sue

Oh, yes, the balancing! It seems there was not any other option but to just dive in with both feet and keep on plugging away! Being a Mom is what inspired me to give up the status quo and chart a whole new path. Creating for others is a dream I never thought I'd be living! I am so thankful that I have a loving and supportive family who help to make my job as a mother and a crafter more fulfilling each and every day! What an inspirational post. Thanks for sharing! Here's to all the mothers!

I just started my site in addition to my full time job and find this article so inspiring since I also am a mom. I love seeing how many Etsy sellers incorporate their families into their business. It makes me feel like I'm in good company. Happy Mother's Day!

I love this article and think its something that all sellers, mom, dad or none of the above, could benefit from setting limits. If you're fortunate enough to have your business take off very quickly (as I was!) you don't have the benefit of that time to work on time management as you go and Etsy can quickly become your life. There are times where I work while I eat, from 9am to 2am and stopping only to sleep. I may not be a mom but my relationships sure have suffered with me working that way! Time to set some limits! :)

What a great idea! I am going to write my mom statement now...

That is a great idea. Especially when so many of us want to be mom's first. It definitely takes a priority.

Balancing is key, finding the balance is the challenge but once you do everything falls into place. =)

I find the balance and comfort in knowing that anything that I am able to do will benefit them. It is symbiotic to keep it alive in the household. They are old enough to get this now and are willing to help out more around the house, so it is a win, win for them. They learn from example and can be inspired for their future, I hope. All things are possible but not always very easy.

If only a mom statement was a crystal ball life would be grand. But I am afraid to break it to you that if you think businesses don't always go as planned, wait 'til the kids are big(ger) and you will find that the best laid plans of mice and men...Well, you'll see.

Great idea. It is so important to allow yourself to "just be a mom" at times and be a business owner or creator too. It's so important to set limits and expectations from the beginning so that you have something written down to go back too when things get overwhelming or the line between mom and business owner blur. Lovely article.

Thanks for sharing! This is a constant battle in my life. To balance my creative process= work/income, kiddos, hubby & housework!! This is why I'm usually going Cuckoo LaRue!! Thanks for this very smart idea and I will b supporting your career and buy this book. I wish all of the Etsy Mommies the greatest success in Mommyhood & craft. Love, heART & Blessings, The Head Cuckoo

Great article!!

I'm always happy to read how other moms are handling being a work-at-home/stay-at-home mother. I often find myself taking a breath, and reminding myself that I am working-at-home so I can be at home with the kids. I think my statement would be "Be Realistic". I have tons of ideas for my business, but I have to be realistic of what I can accomplish and also keep my goals for being the mom I want to be. Which also includes reminding myself that the kids don't need super stimulating learning/art projects every afternoon (via Pinterest :)

I started my Etsy store when my daughter was one year old. I work full time and currently expecting my second girl in July. I often stay late or get up early to fulfill orders. I pick one or two Saturdays a month to create and photographs all day long. It's not the best scenario, but so far it has worked out, and eventually I'll be able to quit my job and do beauty products full time. I can only utilize persistence to fulfill my goals.

I definitely worry about this as I get older, how to fit in the rest of 'life' around my etsy shop. After all running your own business takes up so much time!

I definitely need to work on this as well! Like most of you commenting - I have 3 young children (5, 3, and 1 year). I think coming up with a plan is a must to help me relieve a lot of my stresses that revolve around time management: kids vs. work.

Brilliant advice.

Things are fine during the school year, but I learned last year that I get very little work time during the summer. My daughter's 6, and she's still in I-want-to-know-what-Mommy's-doing mode. That'd be fine if I didn't have to use acid and a blowtorch regularly. I anticipate my situation will get easier over the years -- a few years from now, she'll want nothing to do with me, right? :-) This is the first summer I've had an Etsy store. My plan is to have a bit of a hiatus. The store will be open, but not much new stuff will be listed. I'll attend to custom orders and that's about it. I'm lucky enough to have a choice, and I choose spending time with Kiddo while she's willing to hang with me.

Aaaaaaggghhh! Like I have time to read a BOOK on top of everything else! Just kidding (well, somewhat). I have found that it gets easier to manage as the kids get older and can entertain themselves/not die when you turn your back for a moment or two. My approach is to do what I can when I can, and do my best to prioritize. I do like the concept of a Mommy Statement, though.

I just bought your book after reading the introduction. I can tell you know how challenging it is to balance motherhood and work from home. I look forward to reading your tips on how to balance both so that I can take my business to the next level! Thanks! :)

Perfect timing for this advice. I have been pondering whether it is even possible - this home work life balance. Especially working for yourself, it is hard to create boundaries or even designated time to dedicate to all the things that need to get done, including spending quality time with your kids! It is reassuring to know there is a community of us out there working out all these same problems. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

It is a balancing act with two small children and a full-time business, looks like a great read!!!

great and valuable post!

I've definitely had to learn to balance the work/mom balance and I think having a mom statement is such a great idea! Thanks!!!

This is fantastic! As a mom of five children under the age of 10, life can be really crazy trying to run a business and a household at the same time! I think setting up a mom statement has a lot of benefits. I will definitely be looking into this book! Thank you! :)

What a great idea to have a "mom" (or we would say "mum") statement. It is so important to step back and have a think about the basics of both parenting and business! Thanks for sharing a really worthwhile post.

I chose a career in the arts hoping it would allow me to balance work and family more easily ... yeah, right! I've had much of my career sidelined over the past 17 years. When I married my DH he seemed to be supportive of my career, but it gradually ground to a halt after my son was born and now, after health and career have come second to family, at 44 I find myself still wondering what I want to be when I grow up. Creativity comes at a much greater cost now. I understand Virginia Woolf's emphasis on " a room of one's own" so much more clearly now. I only wish I had carved out that space for myself earlier, perhaps my family would have more respect for me and my work.

Hey this is neat! I am in this book :D

Thanks everyone for your comments, because I have a 6yr old and a baby, and the only time I have to make is during morning nap and after bedtime. When my children are around, I want to be "with" them. Present. Not trying to multi-task. That just doesn't work. As well my books take time to make and I'm really trying to forsee if it is indeed possible to make a living this way. I see that some of you are in the same position as me, and I am grateful to this book existing so that we can talk about this and I see I'm not the only one. This is very encouraging. So, is it possible to make a living with this kind of pattern and time for making? Is it? Are you? Is this what this book is about?

Great ideas, thanks