July 5, 2011

Interview with Dee Dee

Dee Dee is a SAHM that agreed to be my first interview.  Being a SAHM or WAHM is not easy.  We all do things differently.  Some of us work from home and for some of us, just staying home is a full time job!! 
Here's what DeeDee had to say:

What is your name?  DeeDee York
What is your company name, website, FB page name, twitter name and anything else you use? CouponTLCShy (Facebook)
Are you a SAHM?  Tell us about you (mini-bio!) Yes!  My husband and I met my senior year of HS. We were very close friends for some time. Then one thing led to another. We are now happily married with 3 children. Their ages range from 5 months to almost 5 years.
How did you find yourself getting started with your business/venture? Well With my son (middle child) I desperately wanted to breastfeed him. I hadn't with my oldest daughter. I quickly learned that going back to work was not an option. I tried and pumped for him but he refused to take a bottle. 1 day of my husband calling and calling was enough. My baby was starving :) Once we had our youngest I realized that if I were to return to work I would be working to pay for daycare. It was an easy decision. I felt like my babies were better off at home with me and we are blessed enough to be able to afford it.
How did you go about seeking your information? When it comes to being a SAHM most of my research is how to get my kids ahead and of course how to save money. Information on how to teach my kids things like reading and writing. I know it sounds simple but there is a reason teacher must attend so much school. I also do a lot of research on saving money. I use coupons and feel like my job is to keep the house running. The kids fed, house cleaned, groceries stocked and bills paid. Although I don't make money keeping the house running on a budget is a must.
Do you have a mentor?  Would you consider mentoring someone who wanted to start a similar business? Absolutely! I had the most amazing stepmom ever! I learned how to be an amazing mom from her. Although she was not a SAHM but I was older when I lived with her. She was so caring and would have done anything for us. I want my kids to feel the same way about me that I have always felt about her. I would absolutely mentor someone who was thinking about being a SAHM. If someone is able to stay at home it should be a top priority. Many studies have shown that kids do so much better when staying at home with a parent rather than being in daycare. Although I never felt guilty having my daughter at a sitter's while I was working it should be an option if possible.
What mistakes did you endure to figure out the right path? For me returning to work after my son was very emotionally draining. My husband called and called because he wouldn't take the bottle at all. Talk about feeling guilty.
Moments of brilliance? I think the moment I realized that my house didn't have to be perfect and that if my kids stayed in their PJs for a lazy day it wasn't the end of the world.
Advice to others that are considering an online business? I don't consider our coupon fb page a business. We don't make money doing it. We do it because we love to save money and we like to pass that on to others. Although having a Fb page like ours can be overwhelming at times. Between giveaways and keeping all the great deals posted it can be a lot to handle. I do have a partner in crime so it makes it  a lot easier.
How do you balance mommyhood and online work? My children are my main priority no matter what. My oldest is in summer camp and my baby still naps frequently and my middle one takes 1 long nap during the day. When they are gone or asleep is when I spend most of my time catching. They are pretty good about helping me clean so that isn't to big of a deal. I'm not trying to rush around with FB and clean while they are sleeping.
Are there any aspects of your business that aren’t covered here that you want to share? Being a stay at home mom has been one of the hardest things I've had to do but at the same time so rewarding. I get to watch my children grow and don't miss anything. (with my first daughter I missed her first steps) having the coupon Fb page is a lot of fun. I get to chat with new people that enjoy saving and using coupons.
What else can you share with us? One huge issue I have with being a SAHM is that people underestimate my job. Not only do I NOT clock out at 5 but I work weekends and holidays also. I'm up usually 5 times a night between the 3 kids and I'm still up at 7. Between laundry, dishes, and floors the cleaning is never done and somehow I make time to cook dinner and shower. Facebook, both my coupon page and personal, is a great way for me to communicate with adults throughout the day. I hear it all the time that I "don't work". Show a little respect for those SAHMs in your life they work harder than you may think.

I think having an internet based business is a great way for SAHMs to either make an income or have a little "adult" time throughout the day. For me I love shopping with coupons and saving my family money so it just made since for me to share that with others. And well what other way to share with others than Facebook?

~Thanks so much DeeDee for taking the time to share with us.  Go check out her facebook page and see what type of deals are posted there and say "hi!" while you're at it!  We all love to have some FB love!

6 comments:

Momfever said...

Nice interview, and I love the topic of this site! I'm definitely gonna follow you.

Anonymous said...

Great interview and I "liked" her on facebook. I am a coupon addict and really enjoy following accomplished couponers so I can learn to do it better!

MumLee said...

Newest follower, stopping from voiceboks. Please drop by my site, if time permits. Thank You.

http://princess-liya.blogspot.com

Sunday Baker said...

Working or staying home is such a difficult topic for moms. Because I am a teacher, I feel like I get a glimpse of both worlds and neither one is easy!

http://mommateacherlady.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Hey, thanks for friending me on VoiceBoks! This is a fun blog! Blessings,
Lisa

Ang said...

Interesting blog--following you now!

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