Thanks so
much for having me here today. This is a question I get asked quite often. My
short answer is that you can’t juggle everything the way you’d like to do it.
I’m one person with 24 hours in my day, just like everyone else.
I don’t
have a budget that allows me to hire help. Outsourcing isn’t an option.
So, when
it comes to writing with kiddos in the house there is no perfect solution. I’m
raising my grandson who has some special needs. He’s in fourth grade now. I use
those precious school hours to divide my time between family responsibilities
and my writing.
I actually
didn’t write in my Sleepy Hollow Hunter series during Covid. I wrote short
stories for a number of anthologies instead. There wasn’t enough time to do
online schooling with a sensory challenged child who struggled with staying
focused, and still maintain my writing schedule. Nope. Not happening.
Online school
began abruptly in early March 2019. Let me tell you, we were ready for summer
break by the end of that school year. Education took a different direction all
through 2020 and into 2021, as well. Online school continued until eventually
the school tried split days, where part of the class went into the classroom
and the other part worked from home.
It was a
huge struggle to sit all day with my grandson at the computer and still have to
work with him after the school day ended. I know there are many who can relate
to this horrible period in our lives. I was blessed to only have a part-time
job outside of my writing. Since my spouse was essential personnel, he
continued to work and pay the bills. Sadly, I had to give up my part-time job.
It took
until the beginning of 2022 for me to get back to a more normal writing life.
It’s still difficult. I work late into the night or get up earlier in the
morning when a deadline looms. And, thanks to Covid, there are no more snow
days. We now have virtual learning days when bad weather closes the school.
Fun!
But, I can
do some writing related tasks while my grandson sits near me and plays a
computer game or watches one of his favorite shows. None of this happens until
homework is finished.
If they
ever update the definition for homework, it would be defined as torture—both
for the child with learning difficulties and the adult!
Some
nights end in tears when my grandson is on overload. That’s when I redirect,
and we pause to regroup. I’ve learned to let some things go. If the dishes wait
until morning, so be it. If I don’t write that evening, fine. Those nights are
when I step back and spend the time with the child who needs me.
Every
night we strive to end on a positive note. I wouldn’t trade bedtime reading
with my grandson for anything, even if I am reading more children’s books than
adult ones.
Bonus:
Here are five of our tops choices for children’s books in the 7-10 ish age
group.
1) junie b. jones(two collections
spanning kindergarten and first grade) by the late Barbara Park
2) Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler
and Lin Oliver
3) Upside Down Magic series by Sarah
Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, & Emily Jenkins
4) the Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
5) Stick Cat by Tom Watson (He also has
a spin-off called Stick Dog)
Whatever
you do in life, professionally and personally, take time to enjoy the little
things. Readers can find out more about my stories at https://sheriqueen.com
Pirate
Lover’s Curse (Sleepy Hollow Hunter Book Three) is out now! https://books2read.com/pirateloverscurse
Excerpt:“Why does anything pertaining to you have to come with extra baggage?” Uncle Damon said. His dominant pack power surged, affecting the others nearby and making them restless.The air crackled with his energy. I held my ground. His words stung, but he’d never hear me say it. I’d had lots of practice over the years keeping my hurt from showing, but at this moment, I lashed out with a barb of my own.“I’m just lucky that way. Kind of like you.” I tapped the desk with my fingertips, knowing he hated it and narrowed my eyes at him.He sure as hell had his own baggage when it came to relationships and pack bonds, especially when it came to anything with my mother.“If the two of you are done poking at one another, I’d like to move on to the pertinent issue of the cursed map,” Sebastian said. He stood a good foot away from his desk and peered down at the map as if it might explode.Everyone had a hands-off approach to the map after I’d blurted out that it was cursed.“It won’t curse you just by touching it,” I said. “At least, not from what Gwenn or I could tell. It has a hidden layer that will attack you if you try to force it out in the open.”“That’s just great,” Mutther said. “I suppose you found out firsthand?”“Not me. Gwenn did. I was the innocent bystander.”“Right. How innocent?” Nick said. He moved to Mutther’s side and viewed the map from farther away. Neither of them was taking any chances.Not that I blamed them. They had suffered from being too near me in the past. Mutther was still rebuilding his bar.
1 comment:
Thanks again for hosting me today!
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