21 days until school’s back in session. Yes, I’m counting.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve definitely had some fun this Summer. We’ve enjoyed a week at a beautiful lake, we’ve had some fun get-togethers with friends, and we’ve taken advantage of every sun-drenched day that our city has had to offer. But while I’ve done my best to fill our days with active, kid-friendly activities, the work-life balance pendulum has definitely been swinging too far in the opposite direction over these past few months.
When your work and your family are housed in the same spot, obvious challenges present themselves.
I write for a living – for my column, for the tourism site, for my handful of clients, and for a few other sites and publications – and writing requires at least a certain level of cognitive focus. Having 3 little birds circling my head and chirping in my ear while I try to compose content – it’s enough to make my head spin!
And it does. On the regular.
Parents who work from home are no stranger to the “I don’t know how you do it!” comments. And the truth is, I don’t. At least not as successfully as I’d like.
I’d love to schedule full-time Summer programs for my kids, but they’re expensive. A cost I can’t justify with my part-time, self-employed status. And I’d love to take the Summer off from work and pack each day with swimming, laughing and playing with my kids, but that doesn’t pay the bills.
So here I am. Laptop in one hand, toddler in the other. Breaking up sibling squabbles and calming my restless dog, while trying to come up with 450 words to fill the page of my weekly column, or trying to have a professional business call with one of my clients, or trying to edit photos for my next piece.
Coffee spills. Tears shed. Accidents happen. Calls are rescheduled. Time outs are doled out. Showers are skipped. Take out is ordered. Tempers are lost.
I’m getting it all done – I mean, I haven’t missed a deadline, my house is still standing, and my kids are still alive. So am I doing it all? Yes, but barely.
21 days…21 days…
I know a lot of you are in the same boat right now – how do you do it? Tips please!
