Summertime Time-Outs……
What constitutes a time-out in the summer?
Yesterday, it meant getting up at 5:40 am and bombing into downtown Boston to my Writer’s Co-op to work12 hours straight on my novel.
Today I’m up at 6am to get a couple of hours of work done before the kids wake up.
This from a woman who could not open her eyes before 11am B.K. (Before-Kids).
In the summertime the hours of the day are not my own. Suddenly, from comfortable 8-hour workdays during the school year, I have to cut back significantly and do a lot of work at unusual times. Early mornings when the mist is still hanging thick and soupy over everything, at night when the cool air keeps me awake and at weekends, when my husband takes over.
And while, in a way, it’s frustrating not being able to work as I usually do, it’s also a gift. Spending unstructured time with my kids is ALWAYS rewarding. Giving up on being efficient (and not feeling guilty about it!) just feels good.
So… be inefficient, be lazy, parse your time well and you will get a little it of everything this summer. And you’ll enjoy it too!
July 21st, 2008 at 10:42 am
I work at home too and summer is basically hell for me. I can’t get any work done and I find I’m always short with the kids. How do you get time-outs — for work OR for play– when the kids are underfoot all the time????
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:12 am
You’re right, it’s not easy when the day is unstructured. But if I approach summer with the right attitude, I find I’m OK with the compromises I have to make, and the kids are too.
Here are some quick tips:
– During a week when they have no camp or set activities, I plan with the kids what I will do with them and when. That way I have pockets of time in my mind when I feel it’s OK for them to watch TV or play on the computer while I catch up with work.
– I do have to be pretty organized, but I find it’s all about expectations with my kids. I plan one activity each day. It can be as simple as going to the library or as complicated as making it all the way out to the Water Park. The rest of the time is for play or reading.
– If they fight, I separate them. I remind them how unpleasant it is for them to be around when Daddy and I are fighting!
– When they tell me they’re bored, I make them do chores. I rarely hear “Mom, I’m bored!” anymore!
– Like Katrin, I get up really early. I can have a good two hours to myself in the summers when I do this. A great side effect is that at night I am forced to be more moderate with my summertime partying. (One glass of wine or beer too many and I’m draggnig my feet at 6am!!)
– I do kid-swops with girlfriends. They take one, two or all of my kids for A WHOLE DAY and I do the same for them. The kids keep themselves busy and happy, and we get a chunk of real time to ourselves.
– I take time to organize the house. I pay the kids to do certain things like help me with boxing up old toys or putting away outgrown clothing. They feel helpful and important and I feel like we’ve really done something useful. This translates into less guilt when I plonk them in front of the TV!