Business Tips for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers

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One of my recruits has 2 kids (3 yrs and 18mo.) and is finding it difficult to find time to make calls, etc. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[StacieB]

I have 2 five year olds and a 4 yr old and I try to do my call after supper when DH is home. I will sometimes put on a movie for them too so i can make call. I usually go in my room and lock the door whe DH is here so noone will bother me.

 

[sfdavis918]

I do basically the same thing. I have a 3yo and a 1yo so calls during the day are pretty few and far between. I have made a commitment with my DH that I can take a 1/2 hour from 6:45 to 7:15 and make calls. I go upstairs and close the door and call away. The time seems perfect for people, not too early and into dinner time, and not too late and into getting kids to bed etc. It works perfect for us too, since it's after our dinner and before bath time.

Another thing is I tell people at my shows that PC allows me to stay home with my boys. So if I make a call during the day and the boys act up during it people are very understanding. Of course, I do try to occupy them some how before hand, but it never fails, they always "NEED" me when I get on the phone!

The thing that finally dawned on me was that I was using my boys and DH as an excuse not to make calls. I would always tell myself that they needed me and that there wasn't time to get calls done. I realized that was just an excuse and allowed me to give in to my fear of getting on the phone. Now that I have been doing it for a couple of days I am definitely getting over that fear and becoming much more confident in my phone ability! It is really making a difference in my business!

 

[Bren706]

I stay at home with my 2 yr old DD and 4 1/2 yr old DS. It is definetely a challenge during the day to make those phone calls. I do make an effort to make a call or two while I am waiting the car line at DS preschool on MWF. Otherwise, my main phone time is in the evening between 7-8pm. And that can be a challenge as well as they like to find me and play in the same room, but for the most part, I do get many phone calls in during that time.

Maybe if the youngest one still naps, she can use that time to make a few calls. The oldest can be given a book to read, or color, etc., while mom takes 15 minutes to make calls.

I think the biggest thing is that the calls do not have to be made all at the same time. She can break it up throughout the day in 10 minute chunks.

 

[wadesgirl]

I heard someone mention to have a special toy or movie that they get to play with when they let you have time to talk on the phone during the day. They are only allowed to play/watch when you are on the phone. If they disrupt you, then the toy/movie goes up until next time.

I also heard about a consultant who made a special desk in her office for her daughter. While she was on the phone, the daughter can color, etc while she's working and feels like she still got to spend time with mommy.

I'm a big believer in power hours!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I have 2 five year olds and a 4 yr old and I try to do my call after supper when DH is home. I will sometimes put on a movie for them too so i can make call. I usually go in my room and lock the door whe DH is here so noone will bother me.

I have a 3.5 yr old, and this is exactly what I do too. He is also in Pre-school 2 afternoons a week, and so I also try to get some calling in then too - that is also when I do Post Office runs.

 

[MissChef]

I heard someone mention to have a special toy or movie that they get to play with when they let you have time to talk on the phone during the day. They are only allowed to play/watch when you are on the phone. If they disrupt you, then the toy/movie goes up until next time.

I also heard about a consultant who made a special desk in her office for her daughter. While she was on the phone, the daughter can color, etc while she's working and feels like she still got to spend time with mommy.

I'm a big believer in power hours!

Along that exact same idea, a box of special toys that only gets brought down when you are on the phone. The reason why I say a box of toys, is that sometimes when it's only one or two, they will loose interest in them. Some people shop with their kids to pick certain toys that the kid really likes but only gets to play with while Mom's on the phone, and only gets to continue playing if they are good and don't interrupt Mom unless it's a potty trip or other serious thing.
I love the idea of making a special desk in the office for the child! I wish I would have done that, would had been a lot easier on me with my daughter!

 

[angmillar]

I do calls during afternoon naptime for my gals and around 6:30 PM. At the 6:30 PM time, I usually put a movie in for the girls and something to drink. They've already had supper, so they're pretty calm.

If I have to make some during my 1 year old's morning nap between 9-10 AM, my 2.5 year old has some "special" toys that are saved for this occassion. She can only play with them when her sister is napping, and she's very good when she has them.

My husband is gone quite often and is deploying for 4-5 months in May, so I can't really rely on a time for him to take the girls for me.

HTH

 

[ahammons]

I stay home with my 3½ year old and 23 month old. My oldest doesn't take naps anymore, but I will usually put a movie on for him if I need to make a call or two while the youngest is napping. Also, I tend to make a lot of calls while I'm in the car. I don't know why, but my kids are usually quiet in the car so it works out perfectly. (Or I'll turn on their DVD players )

 

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Thank you all so much! This is great! I actually realized that I have 3 recruits that are MOPS!

 

[MORFIA]

I had a bag---of toys they had never seen before---like Crayola color wonder-these are with the markers that no matter where they used them the only work on paper they come with ----fast food toys------bubbles---etc

 

[missyciccolella]

I had a bag---of toys they had never seen before---like Crayola color wonder-these are with the markers that no matter where they used them the only work on paper they come with ----fast food toys------bubbles---etc

I set up and "office" for them once they got a little older...same concept as they only got to use it when the crayons, special toys while I worked.

When they took naps, I utilized that time very well. I had a list of who needed to be contacted and prioritized...what didn't get finished then, happened once they went to bed at 8PM. I have a 6, 4, & 2 yr old right now with a hectic day schedule of dropping off, picking up, errands, and waiting around for the next kid...I have found the key is to be organized which goes against so much of my personality (LOL) but it does work and I get to sleep better at night.

Also, remind your recruit she only needs to make 3 live contacts a day...that can take less than 30 minutes. That is easy!

 

[PCJenni]

I have a 21 month old, who napped on me until she was 16 months. Now I have to drive her around to get her to nap, which only lasts 30 to 45 minutes. I make 2 or 3 calls a day... sometimes it doesn't happen, but I try. I basically just fit them in... email has also worked great for me because a lot of my hostesses are in the same situation as I am. So they can answer my emails when it is convenient for their schedules.

 

[c00p]

Maybe I'm the only one with a child this "unique" (doubt it) but he can't stand to NOT be with me. When I'm in the office he gets in the chair with me, behind me and wants to sit with me. Or he'll "help" with the keyboard, or the mouse, the calculator, etc. He's 2 (such a lovely age - and he's been in the terrible 2's since he was about 15 mths. old) and he doesn't really do the whole self-entertaining thing much. Occasionally he'll watch a movie, better about here lately, but there aren't any "special" toys that I can reserve and pull out because he really only cares about 2 toys - either a bat or a ball. He's such a boy!!! So, it's not like I can pull out a new bat, because he wouldn't think it was much different than the other one he's got. Honestly, it's tough. That's just the plain simple truth. When I first started PC, we only had our daughter and she was 5 1/2 - self sufficient and all. It was so easy back then to do calls, make packets, organize, breathe, pee, sleep....sorry, I'm rambling. Anyway, I just try to make calls when I'm in the car doing errands or when he's napping. Honestly, that's about all I can do short of having someone else babysit (which I've done too@!!!)

 

[etteluap70PC]

Andrea.... I think our sons were seperated at birth! LOL!!!!