does anyone ever think about having another baby...even though your kids are

Natalie - posted on 04/22/2012

I am the sole groomer, and hiring someone is not in the picture...as they have to be completely trained, something that takes 1-2 years to do...As for daycare, i've already talked to my backyard neighbor who has a in home daycare, and she is fine with watching a baby for a few months until i could put him/her in a regular daycare that takes young babies...i only work until about 2pm...so really, at that age, hopefully they take 2 good naps, so it shouldn't be a bother...really, my main concern in my clients going somewhere else and not coming back...but whatever, i started from scratch, so i could do it again, i guess....and my back is a big worry too...grooming with a big belly would not be an easy task...and i'm scared of injuring my back and not ever being able to groom again...ha ha that's me..i lay awake at night and think of everything that could go wrong...then i do a pro/con list...i've never been good at decision making..

Sarah - posted on 04/21/2012

My kids ae 14 yrs, 10 yrs and 11 months and I am 36. I LOVE having a little baby again. It has been SO much fun watching her grow and watching my other kids with her. It is an adjustment. It is hard going back to not having any time for myself. Even just trying to get supper on the table can be a challenge. But with having older kids you have extra hands that help out. I do day care so also have that physically demanding job....pregnancy went well. I did take off 3 months after her birth. I am REALLY glad I did this. I was able to just really enjoy that time. By time I started back up she was getting up only once at night, so that helped. It is also amazing how little sleep you can function on. With having a 10 yr old and an 8 yr old you will be surprised at what connections you can make for day care. Another baby will change how your life is now and there will be adjustments, but it can also be a neat thing.

Kelly - posted on 04/20/2012

Big age gaps are common in my "mommy circle." J's best friend is 8 and his mom just had a little girl a couple of months ago. One of the kids on his Baseball team who is 7 has an 18 year old sister. That's just 2 examples, just off the top of my head I can think of 6 families we know with more than 6 year age gaps, so I wouldn't be concerned about that so much.

Do you have employees at your shop or are you the sole groomer and manager? When J was born, I was also an entrepreneur. I promoted 2 of my employees to management positions, training them while I was pregnant, and hired 2 part time employees to help them out with the day to day stuff. If it's just you, could you cut your time by hiring an apprentice? Train them to do the paper work part of the business and simple grooms, then you only come in for VIP or really complicated clients.

We also used a live-in nanny which gave me the freedom to divide my time between work and J on my own terms, whereas a daycare or a day nanny would have forced me to conform to their hours. There are tons of agencies, just make sure you are thorough in interviews, reference checks, and back ground checks, and I recommend hiring the nanny at least 2 months before you plan to leave the child alone with her/him, so that you can get a full picture of how they interact with you and the child. Everyone is great at first, but after 2 months, you can see the newness wear off and people become more "themselves".