This is just not working. As my final client for the day was writing me a check, I sent a quick instant message to my husband asking him if he could pick up our son from school today, even though it was my day to do it. He couldn’t. So I pulled it together, picked up our seven-year-old, raced back to my home office, and got back on the computer. I also supervised math homework, produced an after school snack and directed a change of clothes, all while sending out emails and revising a talk I would be giving the next day.

This is not working. Our son is in after school care two days a week, and we pick him up the rest of the time. But my “quality” time with him on those days isn’t quality, and the motherly guilt mounts. As I was meditating on this situation in the shower (we have a huge water bill, and well worth it), I decided that I could commit to picking him up one day a week, and that would be a “quality” afternoon. My husband agreed to one afternoon (we are both self employed) so that left one day that needed to be filled. Of course he also wants to take swimming lessons (I had visions of balancing my laptop at the poolside) so I decided to ask my mother’s best friend, who often baby-sits him and adores him, if she would consider picking him up from school one day a week, supervise his homework and take him to swim lessons. Since she could use the extra money and they adore each other (she doesn’t make him eat his vegetables….) it looks like it will work out.

The lesson– the joy of self-employment is flexibility. But it still takes us a while to figure out when things aren’t working. So what isn’t working for you? Get creative. There is usually more than one solution.