by Alena Wendall, @alenawendall
Summer in Texas is hot and crazy busy because our family business really ramps up. Top that off with my love of family—I always had at least ten to twelve extra kiddos around during the summer. I know, I know that makes me a glutton for punishment, but hey, I love, love making memories with family.
That means I have to plan. My kids are a little older now, the family business still busy, so I must be creative if I plan to meet writing deadlines. I’m going to throw out some ideas that worked for me.
Swap Babysitting (On Steroids). If you have young kids, swap babysitting with someone you trust and your kids enjoy. I know, you may have heard that before, but I recommend when it’s your turn? Be the extra-cool babysitter. Plan it. If the kids are anywhere from 5-12 years old, you have a plethora of things at your disposal. Plan activities to wear them out.
Do things that are fun and keep them occupied and engaged. Here are a few:
- Take them to the park.
- Take them swimming.
- Set up a homemade obstacle course in your backyard.
- Create a slip and slide.
- Have Contests and races (water balloon popping).
- Create your own version of Camp Gladiator (exercises and obstacle courses that are age appropriate).
The key here? Be active and engaged. Create memories, and you get a bonus—when they get home, they will go straight for that nap — giving you time to…write!
Naps & Quiet Time.
Depending on the age of your children, enforce nap time mid-day, preferably after they’ve had some outside time. If they are a little older, set up a reward system for reading a book. Notice, I didn’t say electronics or video games. I love books. I’ve worked hard so that when my children grow up, they will have a love of books. So far? I’ve been successful with three out of four. However, the one that doesn’t read books for fun? He reads instructions manuals instead (shaking my head).
Here’s what I used to do with my kids. I would make reading an “event” You read that right. Every summer, we joined our local library reading program. We would go spend mornings picking out books. We’d then go by Chick-fil-a and then off to a park. Hopefully, you see a pattern here. When we came home, it was nap time.
Set That Alarm. You heard me, set that alarm for an hour or so early in the morning. Being a business owner means I have a flexible schedule, but still have to get the work done. I often work over forty hours a week. Shoot, there have been days it’s taken coffee and lunges to wake up enough to sit at the computer.
Be Diligent.
Social media will suck you in. A quick check-in on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram can lead to a loss of that one hour you had to write. Be diligent. Turn your phone to silent, turn off the internet, and focus.
Writing as Alena Wendall, Alena Tauriainen pens contemporary Christian romance novels that always end with a happily ever after. By day, she partners with her lifelong mate Clyde, to run the family HVAC business. She manages both business and family life with four lovable but crazy kids. She is the Retreats Coordinator for My Book Therapy. She is represented by Rachelle Gardner with Books & Such Literary Management. Visit her at alenawendall.com.