The Difficult Choice a Student has to make Between Family and Business During the Holiday
‘At the same time, students can make matters worse by accepting too many jobs, failing to explain deadlines or treating every household request as an interruption’.
The Holiday Balancing Act of Young Entrepreneurs
During the holidays, many university students hope to rest, earn extra money or turn a skill into a business. For a LASU student offering graphic design, baking, hair styling or food vendor services Consider a familiar situation: a student accepts a flyer-design job due that evening, then is asked to buy food, watch a younger sibling and help prepare for a family gathering. The customer is waiting, the family needs help, and the student’s work time shrinks. This is an illustrative example, but the competing demands are realistic for many young people trying to earn while living at home.
The pressure can come from both sides. Family members may see a student on a phone or laptop and assume they are idle, not realizing they are replying to clients or finishing an order. At the same time, students can make matters worse by accepting too many jobs, failing to explain deadlines or treating every household request as an interruption. Balancing both requires effort from everyone, not blame.
A practical start is to plan the day and communicate clearly. A student might agree to complete morning chores, reserve a focused afternoon for client work and attend the family event after delivering the project. They should set realistic deadlines, keep clients updated and decline jobs they cannot manage. Families, in turn, can respect agreed work periods when possible, while young people continue contributing fairly at home.
The holidays should not become a contest between ambition and family. They can b
e a time to build income, confidence and experience while strengthening relationships. The goal is not to choose business over family, or family over every ambition, but to learn how to make room for both with communication, planning and a little understanding.
THE TAKEAWAY; Plan your time. Explain your commitments. Set realistic deadlines. Make room for family and rest.
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