I have two kids.
Not big kids. Littler ones. My son’s eight, and my daughter
just turned five. They both have special needs—that is, my son’s autistic
(though he feeds, toilets, dresses himself) and my daughter has some
communication difficulties, whether as a result of influence (older brother) or
because she has autism herself. We aren’t sure yet.
Anyway. People ask me all the time how I do it. How am I
building a writing career with two kids? This is the simple answer: I want it
enough. I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time, and I will make it a reality.
My kids don’t get as much Mom Time as they would if I were
only a stay-at-home mom. That’s true. I work long hours, and sometimes I feel
guilty, like I think every working mom does, but I have to believe it’s good
for them to see their mother chase a goal.
People ask me how I get my kids to let me work. Part of it
is that they’re used to my working.
Another part of it is books, puzzles, tablets, even—gasp!—the television. They
have plenty of things that they want to do on their own, or can do with minimal
help, sitting next to me at the table where I type. I use a laptop on the
dinner table so I’m available to them in a central location.
I also have a wonderful and supportive husband, who recognizes
my need and helps me carve out time when he’s home from his own job.
My kids go to school during the day now, and I get to write.
I have written until 3 AM when I had to be up the next morning. I have written
before they get up, after they go to sleep, while they were awake. After a
while you get used to the noise. I write in the waiting room while they have
their therapy for the week, and I think about writing while I clean my house.
I am more than a little obsessed. But I’m not sure this is a
career path for the casual in any case. I have stories I need to tell, and my
sanity is pretty strongly tied to being able to do that. My kids need me sane,
so I write. If you need to, you will. That’s flat.
No comments:
Post a Comment