Mothers of children with additional needs often encounter significant challenges in securing flexible employment while simultaneously managing the evolving responsibilities associated with their caregiving roles. Many of these mothers find themselves unprepared for the complexities of caregiving, leading them to develop new skills that they may subsequently apply to entrepreneurial pursuits. As a result, some mother-caregivers engage in entrepreneurship as a means of achieving personal goals while fulfilling their obligations to their children with additional needs. Although entrepreneurship can provide opportunities for personal growth and fulfilment, the interplay of multiple roles significantly impacts their wellbeing, creating a complex landscape of emotional and psychological challenges.
In my paper, ‘Uncovering Wellbeing: The Complex Realities of Mompreneurs with Additional Needs Children through Lego® Serious Play®’ published in the Journal of Business Venturing Insights, I use Lego® Serious Play® metaphor building to uncover three dimensions of wellbeing realities unique to this subset of entrepreneurs.
Setting the stage with Lego® Serious Play®
The exploratory and reflective nature of LEGO® Serious Play® was deemed an ideal methodology for addressing sensitive topics during interviews. This approach facilitates hermeneutic dialogue between the facilitator and participants while allowing participants to engage in an internal constructivist dialogue through reflection and sharing. By using LEGO® models, participants can maintain a level of privacy, as they can express their thoughts and feelings indirectly, through the models, attributing meaning to their creations while engaging in self-interpretation. Although LEGO® Serious Play® is typically conducted in small groups under the guidance of a certified facilitator, the intimate nature of the subject matter and the potential for emotional emergence warranted the use of individual interviews in this study. Nine mompreneurs caring for additional needs children were interviewed in person for the purpose of this study.
Complex realities uncovered
Three dimensions were uncovered with subsequent sub-dimensions uncovering the complex realities of these mompreneurs through their own words.
The study identified similarities between the nine participants and traditional entrepreneurs who do not bear additional caregiving responsibilities, particularly concerning challenges such as uncertainty and time management. However, the participants faced unique stressors directly related to their caregiving roles, which elicited resilient responses. Each mompreneur reported ongoing conflict among their personal identities, business obligations, and caregiving responsibilities, with feelings of guilt being a common experience among them. Nonetheless, entrepreneurship provided more than just financial independence, it also offered opportunities for self-expression, aesthetic enjoyment, and the celebration of diversity—benefits unattainable to each of them in traditional employment. Furthermore, the ability to overcome trauma and conflict stemming from their experiences with their children or prior challenges was perceived as a strength, aiding them in building their ventures and fostering communities for families with additional needs.
Why should we care?
This pioneering study explores the complexities of defining wellbeing for women, particularly mothers navigating role-related stress. Central to my findings is the recognition that entrepreneurship serves as a significant source of fulfilment, with participants expressing sentiments such as, “This business has saved me” and “The business comes before everything else.” Given the increasing prevalence of children diagnosed with additional needs and the predominant role of mothers as caregivers, this study underscores the importance of understanding how entrepreneurship and caregiving can coexist effectively.
Read the full paper here to find out more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352673424000519
Author bio
Regina Casteleijn-Osorno is a Doctoral Researcher at Turku University, School of Economics and Lego® Serious Play® facilitator. Her research interests include diversity and inclusion, wellbeing, mother-caregivers, neurodiversity/additional needs and aspects of entrepreneurial performance by mothers including the societal impact. She herself identifies as neurodiverse and is the mother to three children, two with neurodiversity and additional needs.
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