Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Juggling writing & parenting? Use the same strategies!

In an earlier blog post, Erica & Christy commented that they wanted tips for juggling writing and parenting.  They may have been being sarcastic, but it gave me an idea for this post, so I'm taking it seriously (kind of)!

I started ruminating (oh yeah, I totally ruminate) about the similar strategies you can employ for both parenting and writing.  Here they are in no particular order...

1. Illusion - When you feel like you are getting nothing accomplished, make it LOOK like you are!

Parenting:  Kids destroying the house?  Clean just the front room.  Forget the rest of the house.  Only allow visitors to see the front room (no, you may not use my bathroom).

Writing:  Stories going no where?  Create a new file every time you write an opening paragraph.  Just churn those suckers out!  See?  Now it looks like you are working diligently on 20 different stories at once!

2.  Guilt - I'm Irish Catholic, so this strategy works really well for me!  Let other people know what you are doing (or intend to do) and you'll have to stick with it or the guilt will be unbearable.

Parenting:  My kids only watch one hour of TV a day!

Writing:  I'm going to write blog posts every day!

3.  One-handed wonder - Learn to do everything one-handed.  By my third kid, I had this down pat!

Parenting:  I can pour a glass of juice with one hand and make cheese and crackers with the other.  At the same time!

Writing:  I can print a self addresses stamped envelope with one hand and file my letters with another.

4.  Distract your audience - um...

Parenting:  Look, son!  Chocolate!

Writing:  Look, reader!  Chocolate!

5.  Laugh - Some days I totally lose my cool and end up screaming and stomping around like a lunatic.  Other days I laugh at what life throws me.  In either situation, I still end up with all the same stuff waiting to be taken care of/done.  So why not laugh?  That is my new mantra.  Why not laugh?

6 comments:

  1. Very creative and funny. Thanks for posting your blog to the Indiana SCBWI listserv, and I'll see you Saturday!

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  2. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Have you been to my house? If so, I sincerely hope you did not use my bathroom!!!

    And we aren't being sarcastic - we need help!

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  3. Clearly, you can ruminate with the best of 'em.

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  4. Megan,

    Mary Kokosa told me about your blog. I am a write at home mom. Fortunately I have only one child right now, so it is a little easier to balance work and play. I am impressed that you manage to blog almost every day, since I only manage to twice a week. Keep writing!

    Theresa Bruno

    http://www.historywasneverlikethat.blogspot.com/

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  5. Theresa - Welcome to my blog! Mary is too wonderful for words, isn't she?! I'll be over to your blog to check it out too. Love the title - peaks my interest!

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