by Natasha L. Kohlhoff Polak

Created on: March 24, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Being a parent and a writer can be a balancing act, especially when trying to favor one over the other.

Having been a writer for several years before becoming a mother, I have to say that I found it easy to write sans children, because I tend to be a free spirit and go with whatever and whenever the inspiration hits. So once I had to take care of someone else more than myself, it became apparent that I needed to make the most of my time.

When I think back to those first few months of sleepless nights, constant diaper-changes, and feeding schedules, I was burning the candle on both ends. Not getting enough sleep to function really makes a person depressed and cranky, and it sure did a number on me! Add that to being frustrated about not being able to do my own activities, and that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. But as my daughter fell into a routine, I managed to, also. It might sound easy to just write when she is sleeping, but it didn't always work that way! It can be very hard to come up with anything TO write when your brain is fried and enthusiasm wanes.

So in coming up with a plan, I had to be realistic. And I came up with some ideas that have proven helpful in maintaining my freelance writing career while being mommy and working outside the home.

#1 FREE UP YOUR SCHEDULE. It's funny how you see things from a different perspective when you make yourself accountable for all your waking moments, and see what you SHOULD BE doing versus what you ARE doing. Writing is an extension of my work, so I had to learn to take it just as seriously as I do my outside-of-the-home job. That means plan my writing around the family.

To do this, I took a look at what times my daughter would be awake/asleep, when I had the most energy, and when my husband was home. For me, what worked was knowing that after I dropped her off at daycare, I had some free time in which to get ready for my full-time job and do whatever else I wanted. Also, in the evenings when my daughter was spending some time playing with her toys, I had some time to spare for myself.

#2 IMMERSE YOURSELF IN WRITING IN SOME WAY. For the longest time, I had no time to even read a book. Missing out on that key element of staying in touch with my writing muse caused me to lack the creativity I needed to thrive. Some small ways to still be able to keep the writing bug alive while not having the full time to write are in reading news articles and keeping a diary or blog. As you're made to think-even if only for a few minutes-you

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