Kids and Your Job

[SlimTim]

I just got in from my son's recital (14 yrs) and spent the last month running him to special rehearsals and lessons in preparation for it. Not to mention the sports and other activities he does.
Is it just me that has to practically plan my work schedule around the kids?

I would have a Rolls like NHMaster if I could work a whole 40 billable hours a week. (I'll bet he gets his butler to take the kids everywhere)

But, come to think of it, I guess I'm rich in non-financial ways and they do grow up FAST! (I've got one in college too.)

[oldslowchevy]

Is it just me that has to practically plan my work schedule around the kids?


NO!!!!! we all do

[OkieBill]

My kids had a carnival at school tonight:)

Next year each of my three will be in different schools and after school programs.

If it was not for Mrs. OkieBill:grin-loving: I would be in real trouble keeping up with everything not to mention the business.

40 billable in one week.... Maybe someday, though the new phonebook came out yesterday that has my first adds in them so my fingers are crossed:D

[ToUtahNow]

My wife and I always felt the more we exposed our kids to the more they would excel. At first it was not too hard depending on the season. During Baseball we had 5-kids in little league (T-Ball through Majors) and the oldest daughter working the snack bar. Then for Football season we had 3-boys in Pop Warner and 3-girls in Cheer leading. Where it got tough was when we did Soccer as my middle son was picked up on a farm team and my oldest daughter was doing parades with her baton group. Then to make matters worst when my daughters group broke up she continued on as a solo in parades and my youngest son was doing parades with his Color Guard. For some reason the parades were always 50-miles apart.

Bottom line is whatever it took we made it work and I always found time to fill in my after hours catching up on work.

Mark

[SlimTim]

I lost count, Mark. How many kids is that?

[ToUtahNow]

I lost count, Mark. How many kids is that?

LOL-3-boys and 3-girls. So far five are married and they have given my wife and I 13-grand kids.

Mark

[SlimTim]

[quote=ToUtahNow;135746]LOL-3-boys and 3-girls. So far five are married and they have given my wife and I 13-grand kids.

Man, you have a quiver full. Congratulations!

[ToUtahNow]

Thanks my wife and I have been blessed with great kids and great kid-in-laws who have given us great grand kids.

Mark

[Drain Medic]

I have 2 boys and a girl. Both boys are playing baseball right now. My daughter just got thru with cheerleading for wrestling. In baseball im the manager of my oldest sons team, im the Umpire in Chief and an E board member for our league. Im at the field every single night either with my team, watching my youngest sons team, umpiring, or helping making the field look better. My daughter is there too. Oh and i forgot to mention that my wife works nights from 7pm to 7am 3 days a week as a nurse, and weekends.

So its very hard to work all day, come home around 6pm, take the kids right to baseball. Come home from baseball, make dinner, get the kids home work done with them, get them their showers, then get them to bed...specially when the wife is working.

[NHMaster3015]

Children are your biggest asset. If you raise them properly and teach and guide them properly, with any luck they will go off into the world and make enough money to support you in your old age. :D

[gear junkie]

I just take my son with me on jobs. About the only thing he can't handle is the 7/8" IC cable. He's good on everything else though. Can't wait till he turns 5 next year.


















Just kidding but I do plan to have him ride with me when he gets older. I was thinking about 14.

[MrsSeatDown]

I just take my son with me on jobs. About the only thing he can't handle is the 7/8" IC cable. He's good on everything else though. Can't wait till he turns 5 next year.



Just kidding but I do plan to have him ride with me when he gets older. I was thinking about 14.

I can loan you Rick so you get a taste of having a kid ride along with you:rotflmao1:

[Bogart]

My kids are one of the reasons I went back to work as an employee. I have a regular schedule now, I don't miss as many of their events now. Speaking of Little League, last Saturday I spent a couple of hours at the field house, repairing leaks and changing the main shutoff valve. I had a great Little League experience and got to repay a little.

[CPlumb]

Mine is playing baseball in college . We spent YEARS going from field to field ,game to game , then later showcase to showcase .

That is why I got my own business. To be able to take off for him . It was THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME IN OUR LIVES !! He loves playing ball . We met tons of GREAT folks . Traveled to lots of different places .
Now , he is gone away to school and we miss him SO MUCH ! Everyday my heart aches . I know God has a good plan for my boy , but it is hard to just be in the bleachers and not be needed anymore .

So for all you fellas /gals who are going through it now ,,,, Don't Worry ,, the work will be there !!! The kids won't be .

CP

[yasudaplumbing]

I can loan you Rick so you get a taste of having a kid ride along with you:rotflmao1:

Send Rick over here, I could use the extra help. :D
That'll make 2 kids going to the jobs.

$5 per hour should be good enough for kids pay right?:eek:
That's what I pay my nephew to help me when he's on school break.

Tracy

[MrsSeatDown]

Send Rick over here, I could use the extra help. :D
That'll make 2 kids going to the jobs.

$5 per hour should be good enough for kids pay right?:eek:
That's what I pay my nephew to help me when he's on school break.

Tracy

You may get Rick to do it for free:packed:

[wrongler]

I don't even have kids yet and I can hardly make a 40 hour week. :eek:

[Ace Sewer]

That yall can do this and taxi the kids around is the most inpressive thing I've read here. I do work I am proud of, have customers who rely on me and respect me, put up some good numbers and am proud of that, but there is just no possible way I could be as responsive as I am if I was juggling kids. I was with a woman with two boys for a few years. Her life, and to a much lesser degree during that time mine, consisted mostly of driving back and forth between the school, the house, and the hockey rink. Everything else, work, food, sleep, everything, just got fit in somewhere as best it could be.

[SlimTim]

[quote=Ace Sewer;136237] but there is just no possible way I could be as responsive as I am if I was juggling kids. quote]

Most of my customers either have kids or had them and they know life happens. High priority calls get caught same day, no matter what. Most stuff can wait a day if necessary and most customers don't mind waiting 'cause GOOD plumbers are as scarce as hens teeth. They look long term.
And heck, I work around their schedules all the time.

[ToUtahNow]

There is an old saying which goes something like this

"There is no success in business which will make up for failure in the home."

Words to live by.

Mark

[SlimTim]

When a consumer calls a one person shop they know that's what they get- a person-with a life.
I think they respect & trust someone that is a family person. And they get caught up in it as well.

[MrsSeatDown]

When a consumer calls a one person shop they know that's what they get- a person-with a life.
I think they respect & trust someone that is a family person. And they get caught up in it as well.

I agree. Rick has customers that remember our birthdays, anniversary, injuries:eek:

Sometimes they are landmarks for them to remember when he was last at their house.

[glkearns]

Very good thread. I have 2 kids, and though both are young 4 in may, 2 in sept. So things right now are pretty routine as far as the kids go. Occasionally I give my wife a break and take my daughter to preschool in the AM, but mostly the juggling my schedule for the kids is yet to come. I have a good feeling about my "good clients" rolling with the punches because Thurs-Monday I took the family to IA to visit with my chronically sick(pneumonia) grandma. I am so glad we visited when we did, because Mon, as we were leaving I got a call from my aunt who let me know that she was ambulanced to the hospital (3rd different strain of pneumonia) and bronchitis to boot. All my clients were slightly inconvenienced, but all gave me their thumbs up...now it's time for catch up.

Greg