Before I start, I was born in 1977 – on the edge of generations X and Y (different people tell me I’m gen X & others gen Y – I’m confused). I’m not that old.

I twitter & facebook and have multiple blogs and domain names.

But, I don’t have speakers on my compter! At least, not ones that have been set up properly. I have a phone that is great at making and receiving calls, but doesn’t surf the web or do any of that fancy stuff. I don’t have a laptop.

Because of the lack of speakers on my computer, I don’t watch online videos. There are some people who share all their information by video, so I unsubscribe from their messages. I can’t hear them. Now, if they had a transcript too, then I’d be interested.

A tip for everyone running a business on the Internet. There are still some of us who prefer reading things on paper instead of a screen. And not everyone has sound on their computers.

OK, rant over. Time for a quiet cuppa.

…when your 7 year old wants his own website! Over the weekend, I’d spent a bit of time playing with this site, finding a template, editing content etc, while the boys were playing. Well, after comments about my site, my 7 year old decided that he wanted a website too!

So, as any good business mum would do, I installed a Wordpress blog for him on this domain. Using my contacts on Facebook, we found an appropriate template for him and I let him do his thing. He hasn’t quite figured out that typing rules to some made up games won’t necessarily be a computer game automatically! But he is having fun. He’s even got his first comment!

So, Nutty Natty has begun, though we do need another nicname for him… Something to do with monkey’s so we can keep the same template…

He excitedly told his teacher this morning about his website and she’s going to encourage him as posting on his blog will help him with his storywriting and literacy skills. He’s planning to show his class his site for show and tell this morning!

How times have changed – when I was 7, I didn’t even know what a computer was!

The boys have been sick this week, so I decided they needed another quiet day at home today so they’d be ready for school tomorrow… They are playing happily with their Bionicles, so I thought I’d have another go at this site and find a template that suits me better than the standard ones that come with WordPress.

 Kids are great for feedback – especially 5 and 7 year old boys… They came in to my office, so I asked them what they thought of the template.

Seven year old Nat replied “It’s boring!” I asked him why and his response – “It just is”.  In an attempt to get more out of him I asked what would make it more interesting, half expecting something along the lines of a photo of him or similar. His reply: “Bionicles!”

His 5 year old brother agreed…

Hmmmm, not sure I’ll be asking their opinion on web design very often!

…or it would have if we could find the cards! Not unusual in our house – the boys idea of putting the toys away is throwing everything in the toy cupboard and closing the door.  We have 2 sets of Uno – a Dora the explorer set, which we could find some cards, and a traditional set, of which there is not trace.

 So, I emptied a cupboard full of wine glasses, vases and platters and relocated them, then proceeded to empty a shelf in the toy cupboard. The new space is for games – at least the kids games. The thought is that we would find the Uno cards in the process of tidying up.

Instead of finding the cards (we did find a few more from the Dora set, but not enough for a game), the boys rediscovered a whole lot of games they forgot about! As they have both been sick this week, I wish I’d thought of doing this sooner.

Since then, the boys have been playing happily with board games. TV is off and a CD is playing in the background (though 7 year old N wants me to put the Geelong theme song on!). I’ve been hanging out washing, doing blog posts, and generally pottering around the house.

We still don’t know where the Uno cards are… maybe I should get them to sort out their rooms next!

Orders for our Beauty and Lace Spring Boxes are coming in quickly, each bag contains samples and full sized products. If you would like to get yours before they run out: http://www.beautyandlace.com.au/thebox.html
Some of the current contributors include: Mocks, Envirosax, The Useful Chick Stuff Co, 3M, De Jour, Kylies Cosmetics, Fisher Price and Lumiere Cosmetics! Please allow up to 8 weeks for delivery, but we promise the wait will be worth it,

These boxes are fantastic & definately worth the wait. I always find lots of amazing goodies in mine, and Anna tells me this one even has a copy of Brand New Day by Lara Solomon included!

I highly recommend these boxes. Register early for your chance to get one before they’re all sold out!

As any parent will tell you, one of the worst things about having small children is sleep deprivation. New babies require feeds around the clock, as they get older, there is teething, illness, toilet training, nightmares, and more that can result in sleep deprivation for parents.

As a small business owner, most of the day to day tasks are yours and you have no one who can cover you during times when you have had no, or little, sleep.

So, how do you keep going? Here are some ideas.

Firstly, don’t be a hero! You are not superman (or superwoman), and no one expects you to be. Prioritise your tasks and only get done those things that are of a higher priority. Finish a project for a client is important, sorting those paperclips can wait until another day!

Secondly, if you work at home, try and rest while the children rest. This doesn’t have to be a sleep. It can be lying on the couch watching the midday movie – just aim to have some down time to recharge your batteries. If you don’t get some rest, you are less likely to be able to complete your work to a standard you are proud of.

Thirdly, if you can, have an early night. Business tasks, and housework, can wait until tomorrow. It is not a tragedy if the washing doesn’t get brought in and folded up, or you left a phone message to return until the next day.

If for any reason, you have tasks that needed to be completed and you couldn’t get them done, communicate with your client. If your baby is teething and you have been up three nights in a row, explain to your client. If your client has children, they will understand. Reassure them that it is high on your list of priorities and it will be completed, you have just been delayed a few days.

Sleep deprivation is hard to live with. Your business doesn’t have to grind to a stop because of it, and neither do you.

Article Source: http://www.therepozitory.com.au

Melissa Khalinsky is a work at home mother of 2 boys. She runs Business Mums Network, a support and information network for parents.