Confessions of a Mompreneur: Childcare


The business idea came when my daughter was 3 months old, but it wasn’t until she was 9 months old that I filed the LLC paperwork. About two months after that, I started product development.

Some items on the to do list could be done via email and phone. Some, though, had to be done in person, which meant I needed someone to watch the baby.

Hmmm. Childcare. Aren’t I a stay-at-home mom so I didn’t have to worry about this?

What does a SAHM do when they have a business and need to be somewhere without the children?

Ask family for help! But, that wasn’t/isn’t really an option. I do have family in town, but they didn’t (and still don’t) live close, and, besides that, everyone works.

OK. Option not an option. What was though?

A babysitter, but there are no teenagers around that I know, which meant finding a service through which I could hire someone. That said, I wasn’t keen to leave my baby with someone random, and where the heck would I find money for this anyway? We’re a single income family and I’m starting a business!

But, surely, childcare could go on the business as I cannot go to a business meeting with an 11 month old, right?

Wait. What? No? No it couldn’t? IT COULDN’T?!?!?!!

Furious. I cannot tell you how livid I was when I discovered there are no breaks for us SAHMs who want to run businesses and need care for our children while we do it.

When I discovered this I wanted to immediate fly to D.C. with my 11 month old and just let her do her thing in each and every congressperson’s office and let them see how much work they could get done. No doubt us moms (and really us parents) with small businesses would get the government fighting for us then.

Alas, of course, I did not pack myself and baby on an airplane. What I did do was get creative.

I roped (and still rope) in family when possible. I found (and have to keep finding) babysitters. I paid (and still I pay) people to watch the girls so I can do work, even though I am a SAHM. At this exact moment in time I have our ten-year-old neighbor over playing with the girls while I sit at the dining room table typing this up.

Two of the biggest challenges of starting a small business while being a stay at home mom have been finding someone to care for my little ones,…and the dichotomy that the whole reason why I am at home in the first place is to be with the little ones.

Hello mompreneur life!

Ilsa

xx