Age of My Child(ren)
6, 9, 11
My Job/Hours
medical writer/30 hours per week, plus some freelance editing
How I Get Work Done in the Summer
I do a swap with a friend two partial days a week. I work a full day (i.e., 8 hours or more) on Wednesdays and also Fridays (Fridays my husband watches them). Then the other days, I get up early and work from about 7am until 12pm or so.
On those shorter days, I write out a schedule of what they need to do so chores can be done, and we can play when I'm finished with work. I try just to give them each a small job each day. They also have free time and reading/math time scheduled in, or playing a game with each other, etc.
The Hardest Part of the Summer Is...
Juggling all the responsibilities, although school brings with it a whole different set of responsibilities. Sometimes I feel that I am not paying enough attention to my kids, when I'm hushing them because I have a deadline, etc. By evening, I am absolutely wiped out.
Tips and Tricks
- Make up a schedule with a mixture of fun and productive activities and chores for your kids during any time that someone else cannot be watching them. This works for slightly older kids (mine are 6, 9 and 11). They honestly look for their schedule each morning and are careful to do each item on the list. They take pride in it.
