My granddaughter Shyla and Marley are fast friends.
My son Nathan and his family have returned to the US from Germany where he served in the US Army. They are transitioning to civilian life. Nate will head to college in June and there are lots of loose ends to tie up. His family of six is residing with me for an indefinite time. My hubby and I already have three other adult children and their dogs living here.(Blame it on the economy.) Yes that’s 11 people and three dogs.
Previous Schedule
I am anxious to regain some of my writing time while still enjoying my granddaughters. For awhile I had a system that worked. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my days off. That time was dedicated almost entirely to writing as well as parts of Saturday and sometimes a part of Sunday.
More responsibilities
Two years ago God graciously arranged for my parents to move back to Illinois after 30 plus years in Florida. It has been a blessing to have them here but some of my writing time had to be sacrificed to be available for them.
More interruptions
Now that my household is filled to overflowing I need to adjust my time and shore up my determination to get the writing in. It’s only been a week and the furry residence are getting use to the noisy little humans. And all the adults are setting boundaries for all of them.
As the dust settles I need some encouraging words and helpful suggestions. My routine needs to be revamped. So, I am looking to my readers to share their experiences and time management ideas.
What have you done to reach not only writing goals but any goals while your house is full of additional residence?
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I could use some ideas myself! With a toddler and a 5 month old baby, about the only time I have to write is after they go to sleep & I’m usually up well past midnight writing. It’s taking it’s toll on me since I still have to get up early the next morning.
Jenna,
Toddlers are always a challenge. As I am being reminded with my granddaughters. They needed what they need when they need it. I have the advantage of not being their main caregiver. You might want to limit the nights you stay up after midnight for the sake of your health. You might try getting up early instead a few days. Early morning is a great time to be creative. My problem is needing to be at work by 7am. Never fails the creative juices are flowing and I run out of time. Perhaps the grandparents can take them once a week to give you a few hours of uninterrupted time.
I admire your determination. I am not a night owl and have never been able to do well after midnight. I can’t even make coherent sentences after ten.
Remember they won’t be toddlers forever. Won’t be long until they are teens. Each stage requires new adjustments. You are doing awesome.
Wow, have you got a full house! My husband and I are blessed to have two of our young-adult kids at home after being empty nesters for awhile. Lucky for me, my daughter invites me to take writing “retreats” now and then–we go to a coffee shop and write for a couple of hours. That’s my only suggestion to you: get out of the house and go to a coffee shop or the library to write. Best wishes and good luck.
The weird part is I actually got more writing done this week then I have in awhile. I have a desk in my room and if I close the door almost no one bothers me. But I like the idea of the coffee shop because no one will knock on the door there looking for me.
Cindy, I didn’t know you had such a full house. Thanks for sharing some of your life. Sometimes I feel I have to have a perfect quiet (which I do a lot; we have no kids), but still I don’t seem to do the writing I want. Need to work on that.
Two years ago my second daughter came home and then my youngest, my oldest daughter was already here. I kept praying God “how can I write for you with all these interruptions.” Having three dogs here (they belong to my kids) that become our responsibility when the kids are at work can get daunting. Then when my oldest son announced he and his family were moving in I said to God. “Ok I get it.” Once I surrendered my will to His I was more willing to make time for writing. God has a sense of humor when it comes to what I think I need to be productive.