by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka

The Crazy Daze of Summer are almost upon us. With kids home for a few months, I sometimes feel like I’m trekking through my days in a daze.

As an aspiring writer, summer creates unique challenges for the writing schedule. I’m a mama who’s blessed to have kids who still want to spend time with her, to talk with her.

I love this. I do.

But there comes a point when I’m aching to spend time with my characters. It’s hard to balance the desire to mother well with the desire to spend time pursuing my dream.

I do not have this all figured out. I hope, if some of you do, you’ll share tips in the comments. These are some things I’ve found helpful in navigating the kids home/writing time conundrum (and yes, one tip may include bribery):

1. Give yourself grace. We set goals, but let’s face it. There will be days when we won’t be able to write. Unless we’re under a deadline, it’s okay to give ourselves leeway. Just not all the time.
2. Get up early or stay up late and work when the house is quiet.
3. Trade time with your kids. They give you two hours of uninterrupted time to write. You give them “you time” doing something they want to do when you’re done.
4. And, did I mention bribery? Yes, I’ve used this. If my boys give me two hours a day Monday through Thursday, I take them somewhere they want to go on Friday, for ice-cream, or to do something together. Or I give them extra screen time on Friday (which also can translate to more writing time!).
5. Find places to take them where you can also bring your laptop and work. I take mine to the pool and work on my story while they swim. Or to the gym where they work out, and so do I. Kind of (Yes. I know. Gyms are for working the body . . . I work my fingers on the keyboard).
6. Arrange playdates with their friends, so you have some alone time.
7. Swap kids for an afternoon. Schedule with their friends’ moms so they take your kids for some time, and then you reciprocate.
8. Show appreciation. When your kids give you uninterrupted time, thank them. Let them know you appreciate their respecting your time to write.

It’s important for our children to see us intentionally pursuing our dreams. As we encourage them in their dreams, it’s not too much to ask that they support us as we work toward ours.

Summer doesn’t have to be a complete daze. We just need to do a little planning so we can spend quality time with our kids but also work to achieve our writing goals.

Let’s talk. For those of you who have or have had children in your home while working on writing goals, what tips worked for you during the summer months?

Jeanne Takenaka writes contemporary fiction that touches the heart. She won My Book Therapy’s Frasier award in 2014 after finaling in the contest in 2013. She was a Genesis 2015 finalist in the romance category, and she finaled in the Launching a Star Contest and the Phoenix Rattler in 2012. An active member of ACFW and My Book Therapy, Jeanne blogs about life and relationships at http://jeannetakenaka.wordpress.com. A graduate with an M.A. in education, she resides in Colorado with her husband and two exuberant boys who hope to one day have a dog of their own.