Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’ve got Jessie Andersen as a guest today and she’s sharing her thoughts on the juggle all of us mother’s do–whether it’s juggling writing or a full time job with motherhood. Take it away Jessie!
I had to laugh when I emailed Lisa recently to ask her to remind me the topic of the post. You see, my little 14 month old is sick. She’s been crying, whining, wriggling, screaming, snotting and coughing for two days. I’m working on little sleep and little patience. So, Lisa graciously emailed me back and said, “We discussed the topic of juggling motherhood with writing.” HA! If that’s not irony, I don’t know what is.
So, here it is in a nutshell: my family comes first. I try to set aside time to write at least an hour a day, but the Little Bug won’t let me sit at the computer until she’s sleeping. Well, unless I want a bunch of “kskdfhio” put into the middle of my WIP. She likes the space bar and the ‘page down’ button too, so I find myself typing in the middle of a previous paragraph if I try to do anything with her awake. In the morning, I get the older two kids off to school with the help of my awesome hubby and then The Bug and I hang out. We play in the living room, and every once in a while I try to clean something, but it’s futile when I have a 14 month old going behind me messing up whatever I clean. Folding laundry… that’d be nice if The Bug didn’t climb on my piles and pull the neatly folded clothes into a big heaping mess again.
So waiting for bed time is the perfect solution except that nap time is limited. So I have to be fast and efficient. I’m neither, which is why it takes me so long to pump out a manuscript. Oh well. In the long run, The Bug is more important than my writing career any day.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. I could write in the evenings, but when the older kiddos get home from school, it’s homework, cub scouts, gymnastics, and guitar lessons. Not to mention, we do need to eat, and eating together as a family is an important tradition in the Andersen household. I cook nearly every night, and we sit down together, asking our kids how their day went. This means that all writing oriented stuff must stop by 3:30.
There are weekends. But with my kids in school, we keep weekends open. I won’t do work on Sunday. That’s our day of worship and family, and Saturdays are usually filled with baking, crafts or whatever else we can’t fit in during the week. So, if you really look at it, I have only 5-10 hours a week to do anything writing related.
But I’m not complaining. God has blessed my writing, and I’m privileged to be able to raise my little one from home and still have something that I can call ‘mine’. In the end, I may not be remembered for being a famous author or even a good author, but I will be remembered for being a good mom. That’s the most important job there is.
You’re so right Jessie! If you get a chance, check out Jessie’s book! It’s on my TBR pile that’s for sure!
During her junior year, sixteen-year-old Maggie Reynolds expected to shop for prom dresses not maternity clothes. Now, instead of studying for the SATs, she’s reading, What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Maggie’s ‘Mother Dearest’ lives in fear that Maggie will somehow taint the family name, so Maggie can’t turn to her for help. Meanwhile, her father is oblivious to anything but his 9-9 job. And her boyfriend, Justin? She’s pretty sure he’ll stay by her side.
While Maggie wrestles with her options, Justin offers a solution: abortion. It would solve all her problems quickly, easily, and effectively. And her parents would never know, which means they won’t throw her out and cut her off like they’d always threatened if she got herself knocked up. But an easy decision becomes difficult when Maggie’s aunt discovers her secret and sets out on a mission to stop the abortion, putting a kink in Maggie’s plan. Now Maggie must decide which choice she can live with: abortion or teenage motherhood. Either way, it’ll be a tough road to travel.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/at-what-cost-j-andersen/1111557851?ean=2940014771320
http://astraeapress.com/#ecwid:mode=product&product=12328251
www.Jandersenbooks.com
www.Therabidwriter.blogspot.com
www.readbetweenthelinesbookclub.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/jandersenbooks
www.twitter.com/jvdlandersen
http://www.goodreads.com/jvdlandersen
Jessie, it looks like you’ve got the right attitude. You are so fortunate to be able to stay home with your little one (I had to work, but fortunately had summers off). And you still managed to complete a wonderful book, even with your other responsibilities. The kids will eventually grow up and you’ll have more time for more writing, so you’ll never need to regret your choices. And 5 hours a week adds up! Thanks for sharing.
You’re right, Patricia! I don’t regret it, but I do get frustrated on occasion when I don’t get as much accomplished as I’d like.
You sound just like me! 😀 A favorite motherhood motto of mine is, “Trying to clean the house while the kids are still growing is like trying to shovel the walk while it’s still snowing.” Getting a book written can be almost painfully slow, but it’s so worth it to wait. What point is it to crank out book after book, if it means that we must neglect our children? Awesome post Jessie, and I can’t wait to read At What Cost!
Thanks for stopping by Shea! Yes, this is an awesome post and reinforces all of us stay at home moms that we’re doing the right thing. 🙂
I love that quote too, Shea! Funny. And so true.
Thanks for having me, Lisa! I’ll have you know I’m typing this with one hand and holding the Bug in the other, trying to keep her from throwing pens across the room or drawing on my jeans. (It’s not quite bed time yet. Soon. Very soon. :))
You’re welcome Jessie. I know it can be trying sometimes when you’ve got so much to accomplish, but I’m home with my kids and I don’t regret a single minute of it. I feel very strongly that being there for our kids is so very important for their self esteem and personal growth. 🙂 You’re doing the right thing! 🙂
I love that you put family first! Your children will reap the rewards of this for years to come, and in only a few years your youngest will be in school and you will have the whole day to yourself for writing.
I have seven-year-old twins and I didn’t touch my computer for the entire time I was pregnant—it was a high risk one with our twins trying to greet the world four months early, so I was consumed with keeping them safely inside. And managed to have them only one month early…such a great day!
And then after their birth I still didn’t have time to write for another two years. There really is truth to the statement “Double the Trouble!”, and any free time I had meant a nap for me, not writing.
Congratulations on your book, it sounds great and the cover is lovely.
Christi Corbett
Thanks for stopping by Christie! I’m glad to hear that your twins are well!
Naps! Yes, I need those too.
This sounds so much like my own writing ‘habits’ when my kids were younger. It’s tough to squeeze it in. Once my kids got older I also started homeschooling them, but I still instituted a ‘quiet time’ in the afternoon in loo of naps. Then, since I’d already seen them all day, I didn’t mind taking some time on weekends or in the evenings. Still, it took me sixteen years to write my first book (which wasn’t that good!) and another six to get anything to the point that someone wanted to publish it! by my standards you are well ahead of the game, Jessie!
Thanks, Tracy! I keep telling myself, “4 more years” 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Tracy and sharing your thoughts with us! 🙂