For the first time I felt SO ridiculious telling someone "how much I love this, but waiting for the kids to get older to do it as a business".
I just wonder, how in the HECK you guys do it! The more I read here, the more I'm amazed at how many of you have little ones at home and still do this as a business. How do you balance it?
I always thought I had it together, AND I DID, until number 3. Not sure why but I just can't get it together!
I teach as a Wilton Instructor, love it, and make cakes for family and such, usually free. LSS, I have passed up opportunities to do weddings because, I just don't see how I could put that much time and prep into something so important to someone, when I have three kids as my feet. I mean they literially follow my around the house!! MY little one is 2 and ,no kidding, she sits in the bathroom with me and wants a story told, HAS to flush for me and gets mad if I grab my own paper!! I just keep trying to tell myself to take it all in because when their grown, their gone, but... the money would be REALLY nice!!
So, SERIOUSLY ... how do you do it?
Honestly, it's not easy. I have 3 less than 3 years old and the only time I can decorate is after they are in bed. I can bake during the day but to do the detail stuff, only late at night. There have been many times when it's been 2 or 3 am and I'm still working on a cake and I'm literally kicking myself saying "I do this because...?!?" Then I'm done and I look at it and then I say "because I love it."
It doesn't pay the bills, I'm never gonna get rich at it, but it keeps me sane. I also don't do a lot of cakes, high volume just isn't gonna happen. My girls will start junioe kindergarten (SP?) when they are 4 so that will give every 3nd full day, but until then I will work with what I have. Mine will all be gone at the same time, so I'm going to enjoy what I can and get lots of cake making practice in!
Boy, I know how you feel. I have six little ones all under the age of seven. 
I just stayed up till 2 in the morning doing a cake for my 2 year old's birthday because my seven month old just decided that I have to hold her all day. I love to decorate cakes and would like to get into doing them for people when I get better but I just don't know when I will ever have the time. Maybe in twenty years when they are all grown and then I can do grandkids cakes.
I can hardly keep my eyes open by 9:00, maybe 10:00 if something goods on and prep my head up with my palm. I'm up at 4:30 everday. By biggest thing about doing it when they sleep is being quiet. I tiptoe around here and they STILL hear me. Even now sitting here, I'm tapping the keys, ever so gently, as to not stir the hive.lol. Seriously guys, I give you ALOT of credit!
I have to tell you that as they get older it does get easier. Mine are 6 and 5 and they love to just watch me decorate. They say that's what they want to do when they get big. One thing that I used to do when I needed to watch them closer when they were younger, I would make cupcakes with any left over batter. Then I would give them a spoon and some icing in a bag and just let them have a good ole time at the kitchen table while I decorated at the counter. It gave me peace of mind that they were having fun and I was able to get done what I needed to get done. It was usually bath time afterwards, but it was well worth decorating in peace.
I have a 5 yr old and a 3 yr old and I have been decorating since my son was a baby.The kids just know that Mommy does cakes for other people for money and not to touch.They go play and sometimes it can be frustrating when they always want something and you are trying to get a cake done, but I have no problems...Now if I had more than 2 kids it would be a problem!! Kudos to all of you that do!!!
I'm right there with you!! Some days I just want to give up!! I did take some time off because it was stressing me out too much. They have gotten a little better now. I have a 16 yo, 6 yo and 3. They want to get up close and "Just look" but it scares me to death. Luckily (for them I guess) I don't have a high volume of cake orders. My frustrating part is that I don't seem to have enough time yet to practise like I want so that I can get better!!.. Oh well, before long my youngest will be 16 and I will be saying "Where did the time go!!" hang in there.
I have 2 children, and between homework, dropping off and picking up at school, after school activities and a part-time job I still try to find the time to do this. I finally made my first wedding cake last month and I never slept for two weeks in order to finish it. But it was worth it. And my three year old has finally stopped digging into my cakes when they're on the cooling racks. She's wreck many cakes for me.
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