Entrepreneurial Spirit?

If it wasn’t for the fact that I have very strong convictions about being a SAHM I would most likely be a working mom. I would probably be climbing the corporate ladder and bringing home a nice check. That’s my personality. I have a restless spirit. I jump from one hobby to the next, wrestling with not contributing financially and trying to be super mom, spending every minute coming up with some creative things to do with my kids. By nature I’m an entrepreneur. From selling candy and stickers, to having a shaved ice stand as a child I’ve always had some kind of business.  So, how do I tame that beast? Ha ha. The answer is, I don’t. I’ve found ways to exercise my entrepreneurial spirit while staying home with my children. I wouldn’t say I’m a “work from home” mom. My “jobs” are more flexible and fun.

First off I sell on EBay. When I first started staying home with my oldest daughter I still had quite a bit of free time because she would take long naps throughout the day. I started first shopping on ebay occasionally for antique books, and that piqued my interested. How does one sell on ebay? I watched eBay’s tutorial and started a new EBay Id for selling.  I found various things throughout the house as well as bargains at various clothing stores (I really like to shop) and tried my hand at selling. I purchased shipping supplies, and eventually a shipping scale to weigh packages (around $25). I got hooked. Then I moved into purchasing Gymboree at great prices and reselling them. I kept my clothing organized in bins by season and gender. I learned all about Gymboree’s lines and the way to work their sales. I started selling Gymboree and brought in a small income from it- nothing big, but it was nice to have some play money. I even opened my own eBay store. I moved up into “Power Seller” status, and then almost as quickly as I had achieved that elite title, I closed my store because I was pregnant with my second child. I placed myself on maternity leave.

I’ve since tapered down my selling, but I still do it though not as much or in as high of volume. I no longer have my store. One has to have enough merchandise to justify paying “rent” so to speak for it, and I don’t want to devote as much time to eBay as I used to.  I now have two children that require more time than they had previously, and I’ve become much more professional in my domestic duties. Like I said, I still dabble in this occasionally. I also make girl’s hair bows-another hobby I picked up when I was home with my first child only- and maintain a blog to display them on. Occasionally I sell them on eBay as well.

 Both of these activities, as well as blogging, have been a great help to me in getting out a little of that extra energy I have. Some women are completely content just running the household. I wish I was, and maybe someday I will be. If you are new to staying at home with your children, and feel a little restless, teach yourself a new skill or hobby. Then get really good at it and conquer it! Sign yourself up for a booth at a craft fair, or open an eBay or Etsy store. Start a blog or website. Volunteer. Just remember one thing: you are home for your children, not your hobby. If this was all about you, you probably wouldn’t be home in the first place. Make sure your children and your spouse remain your number one priority. If you’ve done everything you need to do for them during the day, and you find yourself with some down time while the children are napping or on a play date, etc then use that time for you. Make sure you don’t forget your main purpose in staying home-quality, not quantity of how much stuff you can accomplish.