The kids are home for the summer—oh boy. For those of you who had those lovely hours while the kids were in school to write, now what? These little beings will be around every corner, begging for snacks and fighting and making messes and asking for help for things you know they can do with their eyes closed. Is it possible to accomplish the task of writing with kids at home every day for months?!
There are ways.
Are they conventional? Nope. Will they make some people look at you like you’ve lost your mind? Yep. Here’s a little unofficial, somewhat humorous advice from the Admin Team on how to get your words down this summer.
Jill Robinson
“Spend hours on Pinterest collecting fun crafts and activities. Spend hundreds of dollars on cotton balls, glitter, and glue sticks. Spend all summer cleaning up the mess!”
S.R. Logan
Step one: Get a kitten.
Step two: Get the kitten lots of various toys.
Step three: Tell the children to play with the kitten.
Step four: Use this time to write while your new furry child entertains the less furry (but equally wild) ones.
WARNING: Sometimes, the kitten will be as distracting, if not more distracting, than your children. So, there is a chance this could backfire and cause less writing to get done.
Brigid Levi
- Utilize your blow-up pool and/or water table while writing outside with your laptop.
- Send the kids to Vacation Bible School for a few hours in the morning.
- Set up traveling play dates with your mom friends. One day, they’re at your house. One day, they’re with a friend. All moms involved can get work done on their “days off,” and the kids get a change of scenery.
- Grandparents make the best babysitters…especially when they’re retired!
Kathryn Tamburri
“Give them pool noodles and football helmets. Send them outside with the knowledge that the survivor gets to pick TV the rest of the day.”
Shell Sherwood
- Install locking deck gate.
- Place mounting tray of snacks and oversized cups of lemonade on deck table.
- Turn on bubble machines. Fill toddler pool. Fill water table. Grab a big container and fill it with waterproof toys and squirt guns.
- Put kids and the dog on the deck.
- Lock back door.
- Insert earplugs after making iced coffee.
- Text middle-aged next-door neighbor to send over any escape artists.
- Don’t make eye contact with faces in the windows.
Got any other advice for writing with kids at home?
Drop your advice for fellow moms below! Or if you have a funny narrative about writing with kids you’d love to share, submit a blog through our form. Happy summer writing everyone! May the force be with you.
Book Highlight
If you can’t write this summer, you can at least read about writing! Mastering the Craft of Compelling Storytelling by Ray Rhamey is a Moms Who Write favorite. This writing craft book is a one-book remedy for novelists of all abilities. It can serve as a guide for beginners or a tune-up for published writers. It’s also a wonderful resource for editors!
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