When I tell people what I do for a living they’re always a little envious. No boring meetings, childcare drop-offs or hellish commutes. What a blissful utopia my life must be.
I won’t deny the flexibility that freelancing offers is a wonderful thing. But as anyone who’s been self-employed knows, it’s not all working from cafes and lounging around in pyjamas.
After I had my first baby, friends and colleagues assumed I¹d be back to work within weeks. If I could set my own hours, surely it would be easy?
Um no, as it turned out. It took me months to get back to a regular writing routine, let alone take on work projects. But as I adjusted to life with a new bub, I did learn a few tricks that made freelancing work for me. Hopefully, they will help you too.
Adapt your routine to suit your baby
Since my baby was a few months old, I would plan time to write, usually during his nap times. Of course, there were times when this was a disaster, especially when naps only lasted 20 minutes. In the end, I learned to be more adaptable. If he didn’t sleep or I had a busy weekend, I would grab a couple of hours to myself in the evening to catch up.
Later when his nap times increased, I would make sure I worked while he slept. I admit my house is not always sparkly clean, and sometimes we have takeaway for dinner. But if you want to work, I guess something has to give.
Exercise daily
I love going for walks with my son, even if he’s throwing toys out of the pram! I’ve always found the exercise helped my brain to process ideas and think more clearly. While I walk, I can focus on client projects or think up new story ideas. A great idea or a solution to a
problem will often come to me while I’m out walking or running.
The tricky part is keeping those ideas in your head until you get home, which is where apps like Evernote and Penzu come in handy.
Always have back-up
Enlist the help of a babysitter, partner, friend or family member for those days when deadlines loom and babies don’t cooperate. Even if you can manage without help, just knowing you have someone to help, is mentally calming when you’re under pressure.
Complete one task per day
I found this tip especially helpful in the early days of motherhood. Give yourself one task to complete each day. If you’re used to long to-do lists, you may find this a little challenging. But you’ll be surprised by how much better you feel when you know you’ve achieved something, apart from the job of keeping a small human alive of course! In the early days
I would give myself an easy job, like replying to emails or writing an outline for a blog post. But as I gradually found myself with more time, I resolved to finish one article or writing project per day. It’s not always possible of course, which is why you need to:
Be realistic about what you can achieve
If you’re new to freelancing or your baby is very young, there is a limit to how much you can physically get done. There will be days when you won’t get near a keyboard. I know it’s frustrating when progress is slow, but be kind to yourself and remember this time in your life will pass so quickly. Before you know it your baby will be walking and talking back to you! As your child gets older you will have more time for work.
In my experience, freelancing with children is no less of a juggling act than having to show up to a job every day. But at least I get to spend time with my baby and avoid the hassles of long meetings, daily commutes and childcare drop-offs, and for that I¹m very grateful!
Have you combined freelancing with children? What works for you?