Parenting Juggle vs. Writing Time with Patricia W. Fischer

4355. 4. 7. 6. 

Those are just a few numbers in my day. The first are the amount of steps I’ve managed to take by the time I’m sitting down to write this article.

The second are how many kids I have. 

The third are the amount of children in my house right now and the last number is the average amount of sleep I get a night. 

The last one needs to up and the third will decrease back to four within the hour. 

I accept the daily challenge of parenting in fact, I welcomed it with open arms. In my pre-parenting years, I worked as a waitress, bartender, and then a pediatric/adult trauma nurse. I know chaos well, but in the ten years since I became a mother, I’ve also forgotten what it’s like to go to the bathroom by myself, the beauty of wearing something besides yoga pants, and singing a song that doesn’t have ducks, ponies, or wheels on the bus in the lyrics. 

Are there days I want to pull my hair out and drop f-bombs over everyday things, absol-fing-lutely, but it’s all part of the parenting juggle. 

Now add in that I’m a full-time writer and most look at me like I’ve lost my mind, but honestly, it’s a part of me I can’t ignore and put on the back burner. 

If you’re like me, you know what I mean. It’s part of who you are, no matter if you’ve had nine hours of sleep or three. Whether the laundry is done or not. That story simmers and bubbles under the surface and you must tell it so how do you juggle it all?

Here are my five tips to keep your family at least taken care of and your storytelling skills going.

1. Accept that you’re not super human. It’s okay that your entire house isn’t clean at the same time and you haven’t cured world hunger. Just go for house doesn’t look like the aftermath of a frat party and your kids have been fed three meals today.
2. Don’t make things complicated. Sandwiches are a perfectly decent meal. Add a side of fruit or some carrot sticks with ranch dressing, it’s all good. Meals don’t have to be something major, try and cover the four food groups as best you can and move on. I’ve served pancakes and cereal for dinner more times than I can count. It’s fine. My kids still love me and my husband thinks I’m fantastic. 
3. Put tubs of Lysol wipes in easy to find places, in every bathroom, and under kitchen sinks. Every morning I wipe down the bathroom counters, the dining room table, and the kitchen counters with the wipes—it takes ten minutes max. They are quick and easy to use and store under most sinks. I give them to my kids to quick clean their bathrooms and they love that their bathrooms are clean enough not to gross out their friends. 
4. Make cleaning a game. I have kids ages 3-10. When it comes to certain chores, I give them the opportunity to win something. In the case of vacuuming, it’s a dollar. Each kid gets five minutes to vacuum downstairs and the person who fills the bin with the most dust and dog hair, wins. I set the timer so each kid has the same amount of time and it keeps me in check.  Honestly, you shouldn’t be the only one cleaning your home, unless you’re the only one who lives there.
5. Keep yourself on a timer. Being a writer is also about PR, blogging, and writing the next book. I’ve figured out the only thing I really can’t do with a house full of kids is the deep POV and serious editing. I can write pages of a crappy first draft while I hear, “He won’t get out of my room!” time and time again, but when it’s time for editing, I need concentration. That’s what I save my alone times for. No social media, no email checks, no housework. That’s MY time and I use it to the best of my ability. Grab the moments when you can and use them to your strengths.

I hope these help. For more info, please check my website, Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, or LInkedIn Pages. 

My romantic comedy, Weighting for Mr. Right is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. My romantic suspense, Deep in My Heart is available at Kobo, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

Dr. Jocelyn Promise had no long-term plans to stay in Tuscany, Texas, but she saved the daughter of Caleb Davis, her high school crush, and became a hero. Will she allow herself to fall for him again? 
Widower and Air Force Veteran, Caleb Davis, never wanted to fall in love again... until he saw Jocelyn. Now someone from his past has arrived to even a score. 
Can he protect his family, Jocelyn, and his heart? 
Things are about to get interesting in Tuscany, Texas

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Meet The Author

During my journey to be a full-time storyteller, I made several stops along the way to be a waitress, bartender, bill-collector, bank teller, clerk at Blockbuster Video, dishwasher, prep-cook, a wanna be crypto-zoologist, and finally settling in as a pediatric and adult trauma/critical care nurse for 10 years before starting my career as a writer.
Now, I spend my time in front of a keyboard, coming up with (hopefully) fantastic and entertaining stories to pay for my buying too many books habit and the endless cups of coffee I drink on a daily basis.

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