You, Me and Baby Means Forget About Free Time for Writing

I am a mom. I am also a writer, with deadlines. This wasn't always the case. Once, I was a full-time employee who worked a compressed workweek and had Wednesdays off. I wrote, but I didn't have deadlines. Then I had a baby. I wrote when the little one napped and I picked up a deadline here and there.

Now I have a toddler whose once predictable nap schedule is gone. I write. I have hard deadlines and I'm trying to write emotion while a box of Legos is being emptied on my office floor. My, how times have changed.

So, what have I learned during this great series of transition? How, in the midst of toddler tantrums and sleepless nights, have I managed to keep writing and selling books? I may not have all the answers, or even great answer, but through trial and error, I've discovered some tips on how to be a mother and a writer at the same time.

So here they are, in no particular order.

1) Nap time is not clean the house time. It is writing time. Give up on having a spotless house and write. Ask people to call before they come over so you can do a quick clean. This applies to everyone except for your family. They already know how you really live.

2) Get up early or stay up late, whichever works for you. Do not fold laundry. Do not watch TV. Do not play around on the internet. Write.

3)  Buy a Crock-Pot and learn to love it. You'll have a healthy dinner without a lot of effort and more time to write.

4) After your family revolts when you serve yet another slow-cooked meal, find a few other meals you can make ahead of time, or in the morning when the little one is eating. Make them ahead of time and then make sure you get two or more dinners out of them.

5) Delegate the laundry to someone else in the house. The toddler is probably too young to reach the washer and dryer, so recruit an older child or hubs.

6) When the in-laws come for a visit and take over childcare duties, by all mean go have a massage or a manicure, then write.

7) Buy a spiral notebook and pick out a nice pen. When you're outside, and the child is happily caking himself with mud and could care less what you are doing, write.

8) When your family complains about eating spaghetti for the fourth straight dinner in a row, invite someone else to start making dinner. When the invitation is refused, go back to #3.

9) Buy a lot of clothes for you and your family. This will prevent you from having to do the laundry which is now piling up because #5 failed. Write.

So, now that you've seen my list, feel free to add your own tips in the comments below. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas.

Linking to Serenity Now.