by guest writer Angela Shupe
When you are sitting down to write an article, whether it is for yourself or for a client, it can take amazing amounts of concentration to make it take form. If you are trying to work from home and write with young children around, concentration is not going to be as easy to come by as you would like. Thankfully there are ways to help you escape insanity from trying to work with kids around you.
Most, if not all, work-at-home parents will tell you that you should write while your children nap and that is great advice if your children still take naps. However, if they don’t do nap time, get up a little earlier in the morning or stay up a little later at night so you can still have that hour or two of quiet. In any business, from writing to running an online store, a little bit of quiet can be essential in getting important tasks completed. If you’re in desperate need for extra quiet time, try using both tips together. That could easily build you an extra 3-4 hours that you would not usually have.
Then, of course, you may need to write while your child is awake. This is most likely to get harder with the addition of any extra children you may have at home during this time. Thankfully there are some weapons in your arsenal that you might not have realized were available to you. For instance, movie hour can be a life saver if you are on a deadline or have some other important task that needs your complete attention. This doesn’t mean you need to plant your children in front of the TV all day, but if you have a Netflix account, you can set it up with movies that your children enjoy. With each new movie received, everyone will be ready to sit down and watch it together.
No matter how many kids you have, they are bound to get bored and restless just playing around the house. If you have any friends with children, see if they’d be willing to take at least one child off your hands for an hour or two. Your little one will get someone to play with, while you get some quiet. When you are not working on a project you can always return the favor. When your children aren’t visiting friends, they are home and still need some interaction. Take frequent breaks from your work so your children won’t feel ignored and you can refresh your brain a little. Too much writing can overload you at times, and sitting down with your kids to enjoy a little family time can actually help you more than you would think!
Most importantly, do not underestimate the power of a coloring book, crayons, and a children’s table next to your desk. By letting your children play near you while you’re working on a project, it’ll be much easier to keep them, and you, happy.
The most important thing to remember when writing from home is to keep a schedule. Set it up on the fridge for everyone to see. When it’s time for mommy or daddy to work, make sure your children know that they are expected to stay out of your office during that period of time. Stop writing and spend time with your kids during your scheduled break. If you create a routine, the interruptions will start to dwindle.
Angela Shupe is a freelance writer and mom. Although she’s been writing for many years, she didn’t start freelancing until earlier this year. You can find her articles around the web at sites like the American Chronicle and Ask Angel.
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I think I might have said this before somewhere. But just two words:
Medication, and restraints.
Not necessarily for the kids, either.
Friar’s last blog post..Tips for Married Couples: How to Deal with your Single Friends
I have 17mth twins. They nap but never together. I have visions of restraints some days, believe me. Resigning to the situation, knowing I will never be able to crank through more than an hour at a time during the day helps. I stay up late, only time I can get the hard work done.
For the summer I had a highschool girl in to play with the kids a few hours in the mornings. My productivity those days was better, my focus less interrupted. I look forward to the day I am able to hire consistent part time help.
Hi Angela - good tips. I don’t envy you having kids so young - I remember how hard it was. I found myself studying and working a lot at night. Still, it’s only a few years - they grow up so fast.
Cath Lawson’s last blog post..The Pirates Of The Internet
I am not writer but I work at home to do data entry. same problem of how to find the time for working without naps. my daughter has own toy computer next to the big computer so we work together. she likes that, many game and activity website.
Angela,
Good tips. I especially like having a setup right next to Mom or Dad. My kid can draw a floorplan, a logo, write a story, or craft right alongside me when I’m working from home, and she’s been doing it since she could hold a pencil. She loves playing at whatever I’m doing, sometimes getting lost in her work for longer than I can! She’d have a heart attack if she heard me calling it “playing at.”
Bonus: She says she’s going to be an architect, which will give me some new places to put all my brilliant designs. I’ve only got about 12 more years to wait, because yeah, they grow up fast.
If only homework time were so easy.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..How NOT to Buy a Domain Name
Angela — Thanks again for taking the time out of your busy day to write this. So, do you miss Monkey yet when she’s away in school?
For those of you who haven’t met Angela before now, she is one of the very cool people I’ve met on Twitter. I began following her because A) she was a writer and B) I figured anyone with that many piercings was probably cool enough to sit through the shit I twitter about without unfollowing me. Oh, and C) she calls her daughter Monkey, and that rocks.
Rachael — How exciting that you’ve finally commented!! I couldn’t believe it.
Now, if only I could get you to comment on MY posts. *poke poke nudge* Oh yes, and we still have to get you blogging. 
(Disclaimer: I have known Rachael online for a year now. I don’t make a habit of stabbing at new commenters.)
Cath — But you have Lion….
Lira — Welcome! I think you’re right, that it’s probably just as tough for any work at home parent. The interruptions, etc, are all the same. There probably isn’t any job where concentration wouldn’t be required. Some days I could use that kind, even though I don’t have any little buggers running around.
Kelly — Your daughter is awesome. And totally handy. I have some stuff I want designed, and in 12 years or so I might even be able to afford it.
There’s not a doubt in my mind that when (if) I have children, I will be hiring someone to provide child care during the work week. I need complete quiet to concentrate…even a television on in next room is incredibly distracting, and I can’t imagine only being able to write for 20 or 30 minutes at a time. I like to get my work DONE, and having to space it out so much would drive me f*%@# crazy!! Some people, I think, turn to freelancing because it will allow them to stay home with their children. That has never been a consideration for me. I turned to freelancing because I always wanted to be a writer. There’s a big difference.
Krista — Welcome! I’m right there with you. I get pissed off when my landlord decides to landscape next to my apartment in the middle of my work day, because the noise drives me up a friggen wall. If I had babies and had to try to work and take care of those babies at the same time, I would probably go insane. I’m constantly saying I don’t know how moms of little kids do it.
Friar - Yeah, medication for me and restraints for her.
Rachael - You are the real miracle worker. TWINS?! I am just making it through the day with one child, I couldn’t imagine having to keep 2 entertained while I try to beat the work clock!
Cath - Very true! I probably would have never tried working for home, to be honest, if it wasn’t for having Monkey. I couldn’t find a job and I was lucky enough to find someone willing to hire me and help me as I learned along the way.
Lira - I am so glad it’s not just me! Mine stopped napping regularly at 2, and I had to find little ways so I could work around it or nothing would get done.
Kelly - That sounds like one talented daughter! I had to throw in the part with bring the child in to work near you because it has worked so well with me. While I write, Monkey can be found coloring in picture after picture in her coloring book. She would do it all day if she could.
Amy - To be honest, I forget about my piercings a lot. They have been there too long, I don’t even notice them anymore. Not until someone points them out. A short time back I was in a waiting room somewhere and this little boy started asking me about my nose and lip ring. He asked me if I could hand them to him, and when I showed him they went through and didn’t come out, the look of shock was too precious! His mom apologized for it, but it didn’t bother me.
Krista - I don’t know, it’s something I would have never considered an option until it found me and I’ve always loved to write. I would be flipping burgers and very unhappy right now if my life didn’t work out the way it had. Now I am happy and have a 3 year old to share all that joy with. I don’t think it really matters how you find your way to becoming a writer, what really matters is if you love what you do. I don’t think the difference between us is as large as it may seem.
Mostly I am sorry I didn’t stop in sooner to leave a comment. I’m just feeling back to normal today. If only I could get sick when it would be convenient for me!
Angel, that’s funny about the piercings. I think I already told you that one of my nieces has piercings, and her daughter likes to search everyone’s belly buttons for their belly rings.
Thanks so much again for guest posting. I am glad you’re feeling better.
These are all excellent tips - for writing, taking a phone call, reading a magazine - all of those things that seem to be “wake-up calls” for the kids to need you NOW.
I have one added suggestion, if I may - BLINK. Before you know it, they won’t be tiny ones anymore, and if you’re lucky, you get an audience for proof-reading or critiques!
Rita
Rita’s last blog post..I Was A Mail–Order Bride: Part One – I Have RSD
Rita — Thanks for visiting. They do grow up fast! My nieces and nephews are starting to make me feel elderly. I begin sentences with “I remember when you were first born and…” way too often now.
Fabulous suggestions! I’m going to file them away for later. For now, my 5-mo-old is running the show. He has never napped, still wakes during the night, and is only content when I hold him. My oldest was such an ‘easy’ baby compared to this one. **sigh**
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