how do you balance candle making with kids?

[chauntelle]

I'd love to no the answer to this as my days(and nights) just don't seem to have enough hours in them. I've got two children my eldest is five and has just started school but only does pm's till after xmas and my youngest is nearly 3 just started preschool but only does 1 am till halloween and then will do 2. I don't like to heat wax with them around so i generally start once there in bed @ 7.30! so i'm always knackered the nxt day!

Is there an easier way or is it like this till their @ school full time??? Would love to hear how you guys find time to make all your beautiful candles!!!!!:rolleyes2

[Grumpy Girl]

Easy... my kid is 18.

I've found that if you want something bad enough, you find a way to make it happen.

[smart tart]

Easy... my kid is 18.

lmao - but wait till you get grandkids....somehow they end up at your house whether you want or not.....oh well

just get that wax melting, turn on the videos, and get to pouring....An hours worth of pouring and videos seem to work just fine....

And sleep you say? I didn't know one got more than 3-4 hours until their kids move out....it only gets worse - or better - depends on how you see your glass!

[islandgirl]

Chauntelle,

I still try and make the candles around my kids schedule.

They are older now in in school all day, and that makes it much easier.

But even now, if I start a batch of wax while they are home..

There is some crises that will arise..

(Ex.. Foot stuck in a tree and hanging upside down, beating the crap out of each other, screaming outside because one of my boys nailed the other one with the football in the head..ect,ect,ect) then I have to stop what I am doing and go help fix the Emergency!! LOL.. It's just to crazy..

So I try to enjoy my kids while they are home, for they will be grown in a few years....

SO most of my mixing is before school, while they are in school, and when they are in bed!! It just makes it easier for me. I am always tired!!

[Grumpy Girl]

lmao - but wait till you get grandkids....somehow they end up at your house whether you want or not.....oh well

just get that wax melting, turn on the videos, and get to pouring....An hours worth of pouring and videos seem to work just fine....

And sleep you say? I didn't know one got more than 3-4 hours until their kids move out....it only gets worse - or better - depends on how you see your glass!

Oh man, we had the "Keep that shit in your pants till I turn 40" talk his Junior year of HS... but yeah, I know it's going to happen eventually. Hopefully he'll let me enjoy the rest of my 30's in piece. LMAO!

Sleep? What's that?

[mizbizzyb]

Easy... my kid is 18.

I've found that if you want something bad enough, you find a way to make it happen.

Ditto!!!! My kid is 18 also.....outta the way

[mommy2six]

I have 6 children, 5 of them are under 10 and I also have an in home daycare. I never do it during the day because I am afraid someone could accidentally get hurt. It is my relaxation though so I have dh do dinner, baths etc a couple nights a week so I can be alone with my wax. I figure when he plays golf I am the one here doing it all so its only fair. The rest of the time I just wait until they are in bed.

I also set my room up in my basement right next to the playroom so on the weekends I can pop in a movie in the afternoon for them and be in the next room doing candles.

[Crowded House]

Mine are 1 and 2 and do not have any school at all. Waiting until they go to bed doesn't help because the little one still wakes up at random points anyway.

The two things that have helped me the most are a) putting a gate up over the room I make candles in and breaking everything up into steps.

The gate was really critical. If I tried making candles with them underfoot it might be really dangerous for them (of course). If I am making candles they may be awake but they cannot come into the room (lucky for me neither can climb the gate yet!).

I only do containers, so there are only a few really critical points where they can't interrupt me (having to do with wax temp, of course). So I break everything up and make it very organized and don't move on to the next step until I have the first one done. That way if I am interrupted I can always go back to where I left off.

As far as those critical points (when the wax gets close to temp, mixing in FO, dye, pouring), I try to make it a point where they are busy; either watching a video or eating. They are learning that when I say I will be there in a minute or two that I mean it.

When I am in between points (just after wicking the jars, or waiting to pour, for example), I specifically give them attention and see if there is anything they need (fill juices, help the older one potty) and play with them a bit, which keeps them from deliberately seeking attention during the critical points most of the time (although not always, of course ).

It's a challenge and things don't always go as planned, naturally. If I'm doing something pretty big I have their dad take them out to play during the entire time from heating wax until the candles are poured.

If you can keep them out of your work area then you can usually develop a routine that isn't any more distracting than a job where you are doing something time-critical but waiting on customers as well. Just try to stay organized and break everything up into smaller steps whenever you can.

Good luck.

[TxGirl]

Ditto!!!! My kid is 18 also.....outta the way

Mine are 22 and 15. I blew out a candle yesterday and my 15 year old son was messing with it after I blew it out and sloshed hot wax out all over the place. Sometimes even the older ones can be a problem. LOL

[Raggedy Dani]

My kids are 18, 16, and 4years old.

I let my 4yo daughter help me, she's a great helper....

and most of all...JUST DON'T SLEEP!!!! I MAKE MY STUFF IN MY SLEEP TOO...LOL

hugs

Dani

I agree, if you wanna do it bad, you'll figure out how to make it happen.

pop a movie in for the kids, like educational!! and that gives ya hour and half of free time, while they're watching movie..works for me.

[WYJen]

Duct tape!

LOL Just kidding. Mine are 4 and 5. The oldest is in Kindergarten all day. If it's a day with no school then they entertain eachother for the most part. If just the youngest is home, I'll pop in a movie for her or set up some sort of craft at the table. Sometimes I have her help me, like putting labels on bags for tarts. It takes her an hour to finish off one sheet of labels but it makes her feel involved and important! LOL

[TwinMom]

Mine are 21 month old twin girls. My candle making station is downstairs (hubby built it for me, shelves and all!). So when they are up and he is home depending on his shifts I can go downstairs. Even if he isnt they came come downstairs with me, he built the counters really high, so they cant touch burners, or cords etc. They really dont care what I am doing anyway they are busy running around and playing. Candle making is my time, mommy's time and my hubby understands that which is nice. He also helps out a lot.

[Crowded House]

They really dont care what I am doing anyway they are busy running around and playing.

I have never had this experience with my kids. Most of the time my babies seem to think they are scarves of some sort.

[candlesprite7]

When my daughter was younger I would do things after she went to bed at night, of course this was after she started sleeping thru the night. Now she is in school all day and that helps, but I am still trying to figure out why I am soo much busier now that she is in school than when she was out of it.

And I still make stuff in the middle of the night. I am a part time insomniac...lol

[xsami3000x]

Before my baby started school this year I would pour at night, but now she's in pm kindergarten so I've got a solid 4 hours to do everything in.

Candles, bnb, read, watch movies that aren't made by disney, shower without company (that's become my favorite), go shopping alone (one months groceries in 2 hours and 3 stores yeah baby).

I seem to get it done but I'm also just testing so pouring 8 candles or so at a time isn't really much.

Sami

[soprey]

I have two children both girls 2 and 8 years old. In the morning when my eldest is getting ready for school and my youngest is still asleep i heat up my wax in my presto pot and do the pour, before she wakes up. My fiance helps me get the kids ready for the day and for school. Then i clean house. I have a gate up on both sides on my kitchen so my little one can't come through while i'm candle making during the day. I usually do another round while my little one takes a nap in the afternoon. And do homework cause i go to a university. Then after My eldest comes home from school depending on what day it is it's off to Karate, Girls Scouts, and Gymnastics(she's on a team).And then after all that it's her homework time, the kid's bed time and I make another round of candles and/or do my homework /or go to class 2 nights a week and clean the house again before i go to bed. So i love candle making and i make sure i make time and family time. Candle time is me time it helps center myself.

[TwinMom]

I have never had this experience with my kids. Most of the time my babies seem to think they are scarves of some sort.

I know what that is like at times too!! Having twins is a whole different ball game. They tend to occupy eachother and dont really like other people interferring with their "twin" thing they got going on....lol....and then there are times when all they want is mommy and daddy....kids gotta love them:cheesy2:

[chauntelle]

Thanks guys, it's great to no i'm not the only one who has to juggle it all!

So i'm now pledging to loose the sleep thing and keep the kettle on instead, get organised- something my family would laugh at,it's not really my strong point,and get stuck in!!!!! My daughter who's 5 would love to help but she's just a bit too enthusiastic at the mo and my son would have to put his fingers in NOT a good idea so the baby gates r looking like a must with a few videos and time management i'm sure i'll master it or come up with some interesting candle designs anyway!!!!!!!!! thank you for all the advice:yay: :D :D

[asheebeans]

Easy! I get about four to five hours of sleep a night and walk around work looking like a scary red-eyed fright-fest! LOL I do candles when the babies are awake (BTW, I have one that will be 3 in December and my other little one is 19 months old) but occupied. If they are underfoot I won't make any. I will wait until they go to sleep or are settled in for the night. Soap is actually harder for me, because I mix my lye water outside. My exhaust fan over the stove is broken, plus one of the babies has health problems so I don't even want the fumes in the house at all. Of course you can't leave 2 curious toddlers roaming the house while you are outside mixing up lye water.....so soaping is usually done when hubby gets home from the second shift job. At that time, the babies are still awake, so the stickblender doesn't bother them, but they are settled in for the evening with their little movie or show. BUT, doing soap that late I can only get one batch done in a night. Did I mention that I work full-time too? Yep, a glutton for punishment! I deal with it though. I always wanted my own business, and I have it.....but I always wanted a family too, and I have that. I love my biz, but my babies come first. I can always go back to candles, but my babies won't be babies forever, KWIM? Just take things slowly while your little ones are little, and enjoy them. Once they get older and it's not cool to be seen with mom anymore....you'll have plenty of time for soaping and candlemaking! Good luck to you!

[woolfswickery]

I have a 10 yr old in school until 4 and a 2 yr old not in school. I found a lady that keeps 2 yr old part time so the days he goes I pour like crazy in my shop. then at night I sit and do labels and what not. When he is there and if I need to pour he has a corner with colors paper tv movies everything. He stays content while I work. I have always somehow managed to find a way to work with my candles and such with kids.

[barncat]

Mine has been helping me since he was born, he's now five. he knows what he cannpt go near because it is hot, just teach them the same way as if the oven was on. I give him little jobs to do when he wants to help and I ask him what colors things are and to count things for me to help him learn. He's not to the point where he can take tarts out of the molds and put in wicks also. He ahs even answered the phone, my cell that is, and answered it using the company name.

I do have a play section set up for him to play and watch tv also.

[TxGirl]

Wow, you guys are making me feel old here! LOL All of you seem to be young ladies with small children and babies! I'll be 40 in less than 2 weeks with my kids being 22 and 15. Geez, just call me grandma moses! LOL

[Crowded House]

Nah, I'm 37. I just had my kids late.

[amyp]

I too do the juggling act. I have 11 and 5 yr old boys and a 3 yr old girl and boy do they keep me a hopping. They love to help, so I find jobs they can do. My 11 yr old loves to do votives-he takes out the wick pins and puts in the wicks and trims them. My 5 yr old gets to put all the warning labels on the bottom of my containers and my 3 year old gets to put the wicks in to the containers ( I give her the bag of wicks to put into the jars). I also tell them what colors I am making and let them choose the order I make them in. You just have to start from the begining and let them know that it is hot and put the yuck stickers on scents so they know it is bad. I always have something like Dora on for my 3 yr old to keep her kind of busy.

I do like the duct tape idea though. I will have to keep that in mind!!!

[Freezin]

It certainly is a struggle at times. I have three kids, two in school and one not. There are times that I won't make candles for days because it doesn't fit the schedule, but sometimes I can a lot more time if my oldest is available to help out with the youngest. All of them but the youngest love to help with candles. They really love to help me shrink wrap...LOL. They love to press down the bar....but I will take any help. The best thing is the entire family seems to embrace the candle making thing and hubby, even though won't admit it, is a big advocate for me....and helps me make them when I am really busy!