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Hello,
I am new - in fact I have never joined a "forum" of any sort in my life, so I hope I am in the right place. I am looking for advice/support. If this is not the right place to post please let me know. I am a mom of a 3 yr old and a 6 year old (homeschooled). My husband and I have a Charter fishing business. Most of my work is done by taking reservations and answering questions over the phone. We just introduced online booking, but being available by phone is still a huge part of our business. It can ring constantly for hours at a time, or once an hour depending on the day. Any given call could take as little as 1 minute or as long as 15min. Often, my husband is working on other aspects of the business (ie, boats). When I have to take calls from home - by myself - with both kids (AND get the 6 yr old to do her schoolwork) I often get very frustrated and discouraged and it ends up coming out in my parenting. I am especially having a hard time lately with my 3 yr old who has realized that when Mom is on the phone in the "office", she can't stop him from doing things like.....climbing on the counter and getting into the bag of marshmallows OR grabbing the ipad when he knows he isn't supposed to OR screaming at the top of his lungs just because he likes the sound. I am wondering if anyone has any tips or tried-and-true suggestions on how to keep a 3 yr old entertained during intermittent phone calls. Also any tips on managing time in general when I have to be "on call" to answer the phone all day. |

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Thanks for the reply. We don't get cable TV. We occasionally use an iPad, but I feel guilty when I let him use it too much, it is not good for his brain! Plus, sometimes the phone calls are so sporadic I can't just sit down and take calls for an hour. I maybe taking calls intermittently all day. The constant going back and forth between mom and "booking agent" is really rough- sometimes the phone will ring in the middle of a story or during lunchtime- I feel like I am constantly dashing out of the room to take a call. I feel like I need to come up with some kind of game, or something fun they can do while I'm on the phone for a short stint. I'm trying to be creative here, but I am at a loss…
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I agree it is not good for his brain. That's why I didn't think it was the greatest suggestion lol. Maybe some toys that can occupy his time?
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Just wanted to welcome you to WAHM
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Welcome to the forum. Sorry I can't help I don't have any children. I'm sure you will find a solution that will help.
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I guess I don't really understand why your husband would even have you doing this. I understand the at home business part of it, but there needs to be a separate business line so you can take messages and call people back when it is quiet. I know some people here work phone positions, and during "phone time", they have a small schooldesk or something that the kids go to. That is going to be difficult with a three year old though, not so much the six year old.
I'm sorry if I'm coming off as harsh, I just think it's a little bit much for you to do. I know when I got stressed out working from home, I did holler at the kids for it, and then I realized that THEY were my first job, not the the other one. I couldn't get mad at them for being kids, ya know? I just think a good solution is explaining that if you are going to get phone calls at home, there is going to be some noise. Your home is not an office, period. If this bothers your husband, explain to him that small children are there and you have no idea when the phone calls are coming in. Just don't be so hard on yourself. ![]() Last edited by TRoss; 05-27-2015 at 05:16 AM. |
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I would think in that type of business, people would fully expect you to have a home office and children for that matter. It's not the type of business you would need a retail location for.
I wouldn't be so hard on yourself or the kids. Just answer the phones and I think people will understand. I wouldn't be swayed in booking a fishing trip by the noise. As long as the service is good, that's what people will care about. |
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Welcome to the forum. It is a great place to get information! How about if you could hire a young girl like even a 10 or 12 year to just be around the house with you there of course to "play" with your kids while you are "working". That way you can answer the phones and they will be occupied. If that just is not possible, then I would try making a little "game" out of it for them like, okay when the phone rings that like the "starting bell" and they have to draw a picture for you or build you something with blocks or legos. Maybe your 6 yr old would enjoy kind of being in charge of helping the younger one just while your phone call lasts. then as soon as your call is done, they get a reward of some sort.
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Tags |
advice, call center, kids, phone, support |
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