Advice from other working mums

Following. Same here with a 3mo. I'm still figuring things out. I was a freelance contractor before and thought I have the most flexible job but I was wrong. This is different and it's taking all of me although I'm getting a bit of help from her father when I'm nearly dead! I really need to get a hang of this. Haven't left home since pregnancy and getting mentally drained

Your pictures are so cute! Are you on Etsy? I also have a small business, although it’s currently on pause as I have a 4 month old but I am planning on starting up again over the next few months when I get the chance. I am an aromatherapist and make clay diffusers and write wellness ebooks, and am going to be launching a bracelet range too. The only time I had to do this was after my toddler had gone to bed as he has to be involved in everything I do so would be impossible to do it during the day 😆 or possibly at the weekends if my husband kept him busy or took him out. I found it so tiring especially while I was pregnant but I absolutely loved doing something for myself again, whilst earning a bit of money and using my brain again! My toddler will be going to a childminders soon for a day or two when we get the funded hours, so I’m hoping to start crafting again if my baby will let me 😂

@Jessica yes I have an Etsy ☺️ and aww hopefully you can get back to it at some point. And yeah i can’t really do anything other than advertising in the day and all my drawings in the evening 🙈x

Holy shit you could 100% draw for children’s books!!!

@Gillian haha thank you, I am currently designing my own children’s book and drawing another book for someone too ☺️xx

Both of my kids are home for the summer so it's a little different from the school year. I think during this toddler stage my youngest was into shoving crayons in the wire of a sketchbook and learning to flip pages so I would give her her own set in the enclosure, have my ipad references on a table outside. This way over a few days I could get studies and stylized design done and be ready to work on it at her naptime ( she naps 2.5 hrs, I take first half hour to meditate). I did do focused work with her on some object permanence materials so that combined with her tinkering interest was what drove her. Every kid is different, my oldest as a toddler had terrible boundaries and would grab all my supplies. If I had a tight deadline I would stay up and next day was rough but it was so good to finish something big. In the fall the oldest is going back to full day at 6.5 hrs and the youngest will start 3hr halfday. I am planning to stick to freelance/contract and products to continue afternoon adventures