In today’s busy world, it’s easy to put everyone else first. With the demands of work and family, it might not feel like there’s much time left over for you. Perhaps you even feel guilty about taking time for yourself?
Every morning I go to the gym. 5 days a week. With my 2 children. They wake around 6am, we have a little play, get dressed, eat breakfast then we are straight in the car and off to the gym. This is my ‘me’ time. I don’t feel guilty, I make it a priority. Once I have released some endorphins, I feel recharged and ready for the day. I am happier, my mind is clearer, my body is healthier, and I can tackle the day in a more positive way. On days that I am not able to get this ‘me’ time due to kids being sick or for whatever the reason may be, I find my head isn’t as clear, I’m not as positive, the kids whinging and fighting gets to me much more and I’m not the best version of myself that I want to be for my kids.
My kids have now learnt to make the gym part of their routine, they wake up and get excited to go. My eldest (2.5yrs) tries to join in on some of the exercises and I love this. Not only is she having fun, she’s learning that exercise is an important part of life. She is watching mum and forming healthy habits that she will hopefully continue throughout her life.
‘Me’ time doesn’t have to be going to the gym. ‘Me time’ can be anything that clears your mind, recharges the batteries and lets you de-stress. It can be going for a swim at the beach, catching up with some friends, having a date night with your partner, going to work or running a business.
I run a business, a Babysitting Agency called Coastal Babysitters. I love working on my business and setting my own goals. I also class this as ‘me time’. I also love the fact that I’m able to help other mums and dads have their own ‘me time’.
Make yourself a priority. The happier and healthier you are, the more you can do for your family. After all, you can’t give when you’re running on empty.
I saw a great quote on Facebook last week, ‘Next time you go to say I don’t have time, say it’s not a priority and see how that feels’.
This is guest blog written by Orly Muscat, mum-of-two and mum-boss of Coastal Babysitters who knows how important me-time is. Coastal Babysitters is a Gold Coast Babysitting Agency servicing the Gold Coast, Kingscliff, Pottsville and Byron Bay and anywhere in between. How awesome is that?? We absolutely loved this idea so we asked Orly a few more questions below. We have absolutely no association with Coastal Babysitters. We just love finding amazing businesses for our readers that we believe they can benefit from.
Can you tell me a bit more who Orly Muscat is?
I was born in Sydney but grew up on the Gold Coast where I am currently living. I love to travel and have backpacked my way around the world. I met my hubby, Dean in Colombia (he’s from Sydney) and we now have 2 beautiful girls Ella, 2.5, the boss of the house, and Emily, 10 months, our little cruiser. I have done nannying and babysitting throughout my travels and always knew I wanted to start a business involving children.
What drove you to create your business?
I started Coastal Babysitters in May 2016. Ella had just turned 1 and my parents were away for the weekend. We needed to attend a wedding but I didn’t have anyone to babysit so we couldn’t go. I started talking to my friends about it and realised many people were in the same situation. I wanted to create a business that helps parents be able to organise a professional, reliable and fun babysitter that they can trust with just a phone call. I decided I would only use experienced babysitters that were either mums themselves or have worked in the childcare industry for at least 3 years as well as having a Blue Card, First Aid and CPR Certificate. I just wanted to be able to provide a service that parents felt comfortable with and knowing that their kids were having a great time while they could have some ‘me time’ or attend that event or appointment that they didn’t think was possible.
How exactly does the business work?
It’s actually really simple. If you need a babysitter you can either make a booking online or give me a call. Either way, I like to personally speak to every client so I will phone you. Once the babysitter is selected, they will phone the family the night before the booking to touch base and say hello. They will then arrive to your house or hotel at the required time and look after your children. We have babysat newborns from 2 weeks old to children 14 years old. We can take your children swimming in the resort pool, go for a walk to the playground, visit a theme park or sit and watch a movie before putting them to bed. Our babysitters can do whatever is required of the families and we make it fun for the children.
We also specialise in Childminding and Kids Clubs for weddings and events. This is a lot of fun, especially when there is a group of children as their parents are attending a child free wedding. We take activities, toys games, arts and crafts etc to make our Kids Club, we have lunch or dinner and then watch a movie with popcorn before putting the kids to bed or waiting until the parents pick them up.
How do you juggle motherhood and a business?
It can be very challenging at times but I love a good challenge. Routine is key, when possible, and I try to do as much as I can when my kids are sleeping or occupied. My eldest goes to Kindy 2 days a week but the rest of the time I have both of them with me. It’s very important for me to separate family time and business time as I try to be present with my kids when we are playing and dedicate ‘work time’ when I can give it my full concentration. My 2.5 year old actually has her own plastic toy laptop and sometimes I find her sitting somewhere playing on it and she says "I’m working Mummy" or if she doesn’t want me around, she says "go and do some work Mummy". I’m fortunate that my parents live close by so if I need to attend a meeting or need some extra time for work, they help out when they can and I’m in the childcare industry, so many places I go, I bring them with me. They love it and I hope its teaching them a great lesson for later in life.
What is the best part of having your own business?
By far the best part of having my own business is being able to spend more time with my kids and do something that I love at the same time. Also the challenge and satisfaction of building something from scratch and watching it grow. I love being able to help families and love hearing all the positive feedback from parents. Makes my heart sing!
What is the toughest part of having your own business?
Working 24/7 and not having a proper break. Even if we go away on a family holiday, I am still working. I love it though and wouldn’t change it for anything.
What does a usual day look like for you?
A typical weekday goes like this:
I wake up at 5am, do some social media posts, answer emails, enquiries
My kids wake around 6am, we get up get dressed and have breakfast. We play outside for 45mins or so and then head to the gym.
When we get home my youngest goes to sleep and my eldest and I play. Once they are both awake we try and go to the playground or head out somewhere for them to have a run around.
After lunch they both go to sleep usually for a few hours, and I fit as much work as I can in.
Once they wake, on a perfect day they play together or are occupied while I make dinner and do some chores. (Most days this usually involves sorting out their fights 😊)
They both go to sleep around 7pm and I catch up on a little more work before hitting the pillow around 8:30pm.
Thank you Orly. Love your work! Get in touch with Coastal Babysitter here and follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
