Easter hols: work or play?
So here we are on day three of the Easter holidays and the children are in - whisper it - childcare. They're at a fantastic kids' centre, no doubt climbing trees and stuffing snow down each other's necks (yes, we have snow... in APRIL). However my jaw still clenches when people say, 'So where are the kids today?' And I have to admit... not with me. Bad, bad mother. I know we should have the Fuzzy felts and jigsaws out. We should be growing cress on cotton wool and all that holiday stuff.
No matter how much children protest that they 'won't be any trouble' and 'just play quietly in my room', I'm sure any homeworking freelancer would agree that mixing kids & work is impossible, unless you happen to lash them to a chair in front of the Simpsons for six hours, or your child is at least 27 years old. However, if childcare is unavailable, there are still ways of getting the work done in school holiday time, ie:
- Get up hours before the blighters wake up. This means staggering to your computer at something like 5.30 am which to me is quite traumatic as at that time I can barely see, and need at least a pint of coffee before work is commenced.
- Synchronise everyone's daytime naps. When my twins were babies/toddlers, this was possible by giving them a whopping lunch and milk feed, followed by a brisk march around the park. I'd then charge home, squeeze the double buggy through our front door, and thrash the keyboard for an hour or so. Trouble is, you might be unable to resist a nap yourself.
- Crowbar the kids into bed as early as possible and stay up late working. Set alarm extra early the following morning to check that you weren't writing gobbledigook, especially if wine was involved.
Happy hols!
No matter how much children protest that they 'won't be any trouble' and 'just play quietly in my room', I'm sure any homeworking freelancer would agree that mixing kids & work is impossible, unless you happen to lash them to a chair in front of the Simpsons for six hours, or your child is at least 27 years old. However, if childcare is unavailable, there are still ways of getting the work done in school holiday time, ie:
- Get up hours before the blighters wake up. This means staggering to your computer at something like 5.30 am which to me is quite traumatic as at that time I can barely see, and need at least a pint of coffee before work is commenced.
- Synchronise everyone's daytime naps. When my twins were babies/toddlers, this was possible by giving them a whopping lunch and milk feed, followed by a brisk march around the park. I'd then charge home, squeeze the double buggy through our front door, and thrash the keyboard for an hour or so. Trouble is, you might be unable to resist a nap yourself.
- Crowbar the kids into bed as early as possible and stay up late working. Set alarm extra early the following morning to check that you weren't writing gobbledigook, especially if wine was involved.
Happy hols!
posted by F-word Mummy at
12:15
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