When Parenting and Writing Collide

Of all the jobs in the entire world, parenting has to be the toughest one of all. I thought that I would take my shot at writing after many years of a hiatus. Not realizing that there would be a great price to pay, well worth it "I guess." I figured I love to write and it is something I could do from home with the kids around, well was I "wrong."

I never realized how many demands my children have and how much time and attention they need. If anyone dares to tell me again that trying to write and having children is easily attainable I think I will have to "strangle" them.

When I read all the "how to" books and they say you must "make time for yourself," "set aside a certain time of the day," "have your family understand." I often wonder, am I the crazy one because this is not possible. If I try to set a certain time of the day just for writing I would only be fooling myself. I think, unless I am the unreasonable one to think that whenever and wherever children are involved, there is no planning. They are just too impulsive and I would definitely not get anything done, just the mere thought of waiting for "that time" would add pressure to my already hectic life.

As a full time working mother of four girls ages nineteen, sixteen, eleven and four I felt that the challenge to start writing could not be so difficult. I had this crazy idea that they were old enough to understand. Wrongo.

After several months of attempting to start a writing career I have now realized that I cannot differentiate which of the two is more complicated writing or parenting. It is not the actual putting pen to paper or finger to key that is so difficult; it's the ability to concentrate on choosing the words to put down. Although at times I have plenty of "choice of words" that are not acceptable (ha,ha).

Interruptions are constant, the questions are endless and they seem to come at the most inopportune time. "Ma, have you seen my jacket? I'm hungry, I'm bored," blah, blah, blah all the questions seem to surface after I thought I had every one settled and finally I can sit and do what I enjoy.

However, the reality is this all the questions and the "joys" of parenthood have given me a great deal of stories to tell, so I guess we must take the good with the bad. But I will still stick to my first line which is "parenting has to be toughest job of all."

I will end it by adding "I would not trade that in for anything else in the world, the great stories that my children have given me are priceless."

Today I continue to work around their schedules, it is what works for me and aids in my sanity. I am passionate about writing and have realized that in order to have both worlds I must somehow incorporate the two. So I have learned to write in between meals, soccer games, play dates and anything else that is thrown in my way. I really do mean literally thrown my way.