A to Z Challenge: M is for Motherhood

THE BRICK AND HOPEFULLY CRUMBLING WALL OF MOTHERHOOD AND WRITING 

by Donna M. McDine 

You have envisioned the days of ditching your 9-5 job for many years and have finally made it a reality and have taken the leap into no weekly paychecks. The decision to give your writing aspirations the chance that they deserve washes over your mind and soul. You have stocked your office or any small writing space that you designate in your home with all the essentials; a computer, paper, pens, pencils, books and research resources, etc. However, the responsibilities of motherhood seem to intrude every moment of the day.  

Now that you are home, everyone thinks that you are accessible all day long. Friends and family call to “shoot the breeze” and some may even feel you are their answer to their childcare woes. It seems like many of your friends and family feel that since you are home that you are not “really working”.  You are not sure when it happened, but responsibilities that were normally delegated, somehow have become all your responsibility. But before you tackle anything even remotely involved with your writing you must clean your sticky keyboard yet again. 

A writer’s life can easily become frustrated when the creative juices are without fail interrupted by the most mundane questions or needs. You know how that goes. Mom where are my soccer cleats? What is there to eat? Can you put the movie in for me?  The list is endless. You try your best to suppress a heavy sigh or even the urge to cry. When did my family become so helpless? You say to yourself as you stand up from your desk yet again.

We all love our families, but how does one carve out that special and much desired writing time without the feeling of neglect on the family? It is important to reset boundaries as quickly as they disappear. Let your family know that writing is indeed work, but also a passion that you desire to achieve successfully. Teach your children the importance of uninterrupted writing time and that they will get your undivided attention once your writing session is completed. Hopefully they will come to understand that what is important to you should be respected. Just as you respect what is important to them.

Although there will be times and sometimes it will feel like many, where interruptions are a necessity.  Such as, when the school nurse calls to say that you need to pick up your child that has a fever. Like any mother, we quickly grab our car keys and head to the school. If you attempt to balance your writing and the care of your sick child it will tend to leave you both feeling frustrated and neglected.  At this point, you are much better accepting the fact that your child needs you and that your writing can wait for another time. Even if that deadline is on the horizon, you will not do your best work, just leave it. 

Grab any time thrown your way, especially when the little ones are asleep. When the house and telephone are quiet it tends to be a great time for creativity. These little pockets of time may not feel like much, but the time over a week to a month will accumulate and you can get quite a bit accomplished.

Keep a handy pocket notebook with you at all times, you never know when your next inspiration will come to mind. It could happen anywhere, such as that crowded doctors office you just brought your sick child to. Like anything in this life, this too shall pass, but we hope not too fast, since they do grow up quickly.

Visit with A to Z Challenge bloggers - http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Thanks for visiting,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval Recipient and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist