Working from home with kids is hard. But, children are an asset to your business! Keep reading to find out why.

Do you ever struggle with your business, and dream about how much more you could get done if your kids were in daycare/at school/moved out? Do you ever feel like your kids are a hindrance to your business growth?

Let me encourage you for a minute.

While you may not be pouring as much time and energy into your business as you would otherwise, your children are giving you other advantages when it comes to growing your business.

Here are 2/3rds of my kids. They certainly are an asset to my business!

Here are six fascinating reasons your kids benefit from your home business.

1. CHILDREN GIVE YOU AN IMPORTANT WHY

If you don’t have a “why” your business isn’t going to last. You need a reason to keep going when times are tough and:

• You’re in the middle of a freelance famine

• You’ve been blogging for ages and you can’t move your traffic needle

• Your client decides to part ways

• You’re struggling to get up early to knock out some work

Whatever the case may be, whenever you are wondering if you should just quit your business, your why can help you see the value in persevering.

And children make an important why.

Your business can build a better future for your kids. It can bring in extra income to help make ends meet.

Your business is good for your children. You are teaching them how to have a good work ethic, how to be an entrepreneur, and that you have an identity outside of “Mom.”

When your why is something you can see every day, like your kids, it’s very powerful. They are always there as a reminder to why you are doing this.

2. YOUR CHILDREN CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR BUSINESS

If you’re constantly entertaining your kids, trying to ensure they never grow bored and never have to work around the house, you are doing your entire house a disservice.

Kids rise and fall to meet your expectations. If you expect them to be coddled and pampered, they will expect it too.

But, if you expect them to help, they will also do that. Often rising far above what you imagined.

My kids play an integral role in my business.

My oldest is 17 and she helps me:

• Create graphics for my blog

• Proofread client work

• Come up with words when I need “another word for….”

• Recategorize posts on my blog

• Build a vision for my blog

• Schedule content from Pinterest

I pay her for her efforts, and she’s working on launching her own graphic design business.

But, she didn’t just automatically wake up one day as a teenager and start working with me. It was a process to get here, and it began by helping with other tasks around the house.

We cook and clean together. We fold and put away laundry each day.

My kids are helping from the time they’re toddlers. It is normal for them.

So when I started working, it only made sense for them to help me with that too. We’re a team. It’s such a blessing.

It’s true – your kids are an asset to your business!

3. YOUR KIDS CAN MOTIVATE YOU

Kids make pretty good cheerleaders! After years of encouraging them to do their schoolwork or make their beds, it’s now their turn to keep you accountable.

Share your goals with your kids. If you want to send five pitches a day, have them ask you about it. Or create a visual guide with stickers they can help encourage you to fill out.

The more hands-on and visual your goals are, the better cheerleaders your kids can be.

Here are some ideas:

• Make a paper thermometer they can color in as you work towards a goal

• Create a link of paper chains each week representing how many of something you want to do, and have your kids pull off the right amount each evening

• Invest in a cool sticker chart and some stickers

• Put a marble in an empty jar each time you make progress towards a goal

Remember to celebrate. Once you reach your goal, have a very clear reward. Maybe it’s taking a trip. Or going to the park.

You might decide to buy a new board game for family game night, or buy ice cream and toppings for a special dessert.

Your rewards don’t have to cost a lot of money. But, when kids know there’s a reward at the end they tend to be even better motivators. They want the treat and they want you to do the work so they get it. 😀

4. KIDS ARE A GREAT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Not a day goes by when one of my nine kids doesn’t do something that makes me laugh. They are always doing crazy things. And their love and joy of life have inspired many blog posts.

Your kids have the creativity that most adults have lost. But, they can teach you to look at the world a little differently again.

When you take time to play with your kids, keep a notepad handy. You may be surprised at how freely ideas come to you after you’ve spent time with your amazing crew.

Because of their creativity, I love to have my kids brainstorm blog post ideas with me. They always come up with ideas I never would have!

5. YOUR KIDS HELP YOU FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT

When you have kids, you have a lot more pressing on your time. You aren’t free to spend hours diving into a new concept or chasing a shiny object.

Because your time is limited, you learn to focus on higher-value tasks. You recognize that you can’t do everything, and you proactively decide what to drop.

You learn quickly to be okay with the minimum viable model.

The truth is, no one can do it all. Even if they don’t have kids.

You just are made more aware of your limitations and realize how truly precious your time is.

It’s okay to drop some low-hanging fruit in your business and focus on the higher value ROI tasks.

When you’re busy chasing your kiddos, you’ve got to be laser-focused when you do have time to work!

6. CHILDREN HELP YOU REMEMBER TO TAKE BREAKS

Your productivity actually begins to wane the longer you stick with a task. Children help you remember to break up your day and take much-needed play breaks.

By alternating work and play periods, you can keep your brain from feeling so overwhelmed.

Your kids aren’t likely to let you forget to eat as you work through lunch. They remind you to have some fun.

And they really help you put the balance back in your life.

KIDS ARE AN ASSET TO YOUR BUSINESS!

So, the next time you’re feeling discouraged by your lack of progress, flip your thinking. Remember all of the reasons why kids are an asset to your business.

They are helping you focus on what matters, take necessary breaks, and build a business the family can all get behind.