Owning a Franchise and Being a Mom: Finding the Balance That Worked for Me

After my daughter was born I thought I wanted to be a stay at home mom. I thought I would cherish the ability to be there with her every moment of every day, not missing a thing. I was mistaken.  
 
Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughter more than I even knew was possible and I DO cherish every moment with her. What I didn't cherish was feeling stuck at home, like I couldn't leave. What I didn’t cherish was the guilt I felt for not wanting to commit to staying at home as a mom. What I didn't cherish was the complete void of adult contact in my day to day life.  
 
By my daughter's first birthday, I knew I needed to find something that let me balance being the mother I wanted to be and having a career that was fulfilling.  

Finding the Balance
Without a doubt I am neither the first nor the last woman to ask, "How can I balance caring for my children with a career that matters to me?" Indeed, I am certainly not the only woman to need both family and career in order to find happiness.  
 
I started thinking about starting a business from home, doing direct sales or something like that. I was turned off such concepts because I knew I didn't want to have to market to my friends. That's when I started looking into investing in a franchise.  
 
Franchise Opportunities are Everywhere
Within two minutes of my internet search—"franchises for moms with young kids"—I realized that the number of franchise concepts available in my area alone was astounding. Apparently, you can franchise anything: dry cleaners, maid services, soft pretzels, coffee, you name it.  
 
After what felt like endless research, I found an indoor playground franchise that seemed to fit what I was going for. It was a family friendly, flexible franchise concept that emphasized organic, imaginative play over screens and video games. The granola mommy in me was coming out in full force and I was ecstatic.  
 
An Investment Worth Making
Once the process of opening my franchise got started I realized that I was going to need to put in a lot of work. This didn't phase me, because doing work that matters has always been easy for me; that's why I didn't complain changing diapers or giving birth...OK, I complained a little while giving birth...or maybe a lot.   
 
Anyway, investing in my indoor playground franchise was more than just opening a business so that I could get out of the house. It was truly an investment in my happiness and my daughter's future. I learned so much about the value of play for children in my training that I was eager to share with everyone I knew. Additionally, I knew first hand how important it is, as a mother, to be able to feel good about the places that I take my child.  
 
Starting my franchise was how I became everything I wanted to be: a mother, an independent earner, a service provider. My indoor playground provides mothers—just like me—a place to take their children that is safe, clean, and beneficial to their development. Three years later, my almost-kindergartener (where does the time go?!) has a mommy whose personal fulfillment has improved every part of her life.