Tips for Pro Mom*togs – Week 1
Happy Monday!
This week starts my first week blogging tips for you pro Mom*togs out there. I will be blogging these tips every Monday.
Tip #1 – Set office hours!
Before I had Brayden I worked and worked and worked. All I did was work. Because when your work isn’t really a job to you it’s easy to spend all of your time doing what you love. I just wanted to make my business as successful as possible and spent all my time shooting, editing, and scouring blogs to make myself a better photographer.
But, then Brayden came. Everyone told me that babies sleep most of the time when they are newborns. Well, that wasn’t the case with Brayden. I tried to work when he was napping, work when I was feeding him, work at night, but I just ended up getting frustrated and not getting any work done. While I was on my “maternity leave” I really didn’t even need to work, but work is what made me feel like me instead of just a feeding machine. I fought it for a long time, but then I realized that I do what I do so I can stay at home with Brayden and enjoy the few years I have him where he really needs me and wants to be with me.
I’m lucky that my husband works very close and gets home relatively early most days. I try (my hardest) to not work until he gets home. Sure, I’ll answer a couple of emails here and there while Brayden is napping, but I really try and fill our days with things that are fun for him. As soon as Chuck gets home I work for a few hours. And when I say work, I really mean work. I don’t read blogs or shop online. I set goals for myself daily to accomplish. I find that this way I am getting way more work done in a shorter period of time rather than having to listen to Brayden cry at my office door. Once I stopped fighting it we were both so much happier!
So, do you pro Mom*togs have set office hours? Does it work for you? Ready, set, discuss!
About DrewB
I’ve started this blog as a way to connect with other moms who love photography. Whether you are a professional photographer who is looking for advice on how to manage your own business and your family or if you are a mom who is looking for tips on how to take better pictures of your kids, I hope that you can find some good information and be inspired!
Drew,
Before I started photography full-time, I worked a part-time job three days a week and then worked on pictures whenever I could. Most of the time it was when my husband got home from work, and I would easily stay in my office till 11:00 p.m. or later. Now that my little boy is in school, I can work as much as I need to before I pick him up. This summer will be harder though, but I’m hoping I can work a few hours in the morning and then we can play in the afternoon. I will have to work once my husband gets home from work, but hopefully I won’t have to stay up super late. Like you, I know how lucky I am to stay and home and do something I love, so the last thing I want to do is put my business before my family.
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Today is my first day off of maternity leave. I’ve hired a nanny 3 days a week to care for my baby boy here at my home while I do 2-3 sessions per day, blog, correspond with clients, post process, upload, and do orders. I also work from my home so I have to keep a very tight schedule. She is here from 8:30-5:00 and my goal is to be done for the day when my husband returns home after 5:00 p.m. My nanny works Tuesdays-Thursdays and I’m off Friday-Monday to keep a consistent schedule for the baby and myself. Hopefully this will work out to give me the best of both worlds because I am not my best self when I don’t have a creative outlet. I hope to be like you, Drew, when I do have those off days I plan to turn off the blackberry, phone and email and concentrate on the fleeting moments of motherhood.
I work from home as a graphic designer and just recently started doing photography in the last year. But since my first child was born, I have pretty much worked all day. But with my job, it really is a job so I can’t work in the evenings. I do however have somewhat flexible hours so that makes it better, but my kids were very good and entertaining themselves which was nice at some points. As for the photography, I sneak it in when I can but notice I stay up late at night editing and doing stuff.
Oohhhh…this is a great topic, Drew! This is my BIGGEST struggle! I want to be home with Reese (my 20 month old) and be #1 mama but I also want my time and for me, “my time” is working, growing my business, learning, offering more to clients, etc. I work part time b/c I am a full time mama with the craziness of my husband’s work. During the season, I can’t work as much b/c I don’t have help and I need to spend our home time together. I used to do exactly what you said…try to to work during the day, surfing sites for inspiration, but I’ve had to get some structure now. I now only work once Reese & Dallas are asleep at night. I work til midnight or so and then try to get some sleep. I pick certain nights to NOT go to my computer (it’s HARD to do that) and in the mornings I take Reese out to do fun stuff. That way, I feel like she gets plenty of me right now and I’m not tempted to “check an email or two.” It is really hard. Even checking other pros blog inspires me and I hardly have time for that anymore. It sure makes me wonder what I used to do with my time…I know though, that I can’t get this time back. I’ll have plenty of years to work once she is in school (then I’ll be BORED outta my mind!) Great topic!
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I have found myself obsessing over my work. Maybe a little too much. I am new to photography. I’m enjoying this newfound love. But I am first and foremost a mother to four beautiful YOUNG children. Attending WPPI brought new insight into how I needed to streamline my workflow. The top of the list was setting office hours. They talked alot about the late night hours that effect our days. I would LOVE to avoid those late nights… but being so new to photography, I can’t help but bring that laptop where ever I go. I’ve tried and it’s been hard to set a solid “office hours” schedule because my children’s school hours and vacation break changes but I try to keep balanced and only work while they are in school and at night when they are in bed. At times I feel as though I get very little accomplished. I’m learning. And LOVING it all the way~!!!
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Like the many moms on here I,too, struggle with finding a balance, especially now that my husband is off work with an injury. It’s so easy to ” just look at one more website” for inspiration because he can tend to the kids. Before his accident I would work soon after my kids were bed and staying up way too late at night. I’m so not a morning person. Drew, I like what you do. When your husband comes home from work it’s your time to hit the office. When my husband is back at work I think I’ll try that. Work for a couple hours when he gets home, spend some time with the kids before bed and then come back to work after their in bed. Hopefully, I won’t be staying up ’til all hours in the night anymore, although I’m sure those days won’t ever be gone completely.
Thanks for opening up this discussion.
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As my boys have gotten older and are now in school, I now have the time to set regular hours for my part time business. I try to stick to a 2 hour a day schedule. I must admit, it’s hard to walk away from the computer when you are on a roll. I still struggle with that. Helps to have a to do list. Keeps me focused. I’m all there’s when they get home. Though I think they are mature enought to understand when mommy has to work a little when they get home sometimes.
Hi Drew…….this is something that I have been struggling with since I started in October last year. I kinda just fell into portrait photography and have been very busy ever since. I have an 11 year old and a four year old who is starting school in Sept and I feel terribly guilty for not being there 100% for her when I am working……sooooo I have been doing my editing when she goes to bed, my husband is a way at the moment so I can’t do it until then. I am finding it a little tiring as it is now the summer hols and they go to bed a little later, so that means I have to work later…..i guess thats the price I have to pay if I am to continue to work AND really be there for my kids