Comments on: A Freelance Mother’s Plea http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/ Freelance Resources for Writers, Designers & Other Virtual Service Providers Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:50:10 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Good Help is Easy to Find | Freelance Parent http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-468 Good Help is Easy to Find | Freelance Parent Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:22:38 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-468 [...] back, I posted A Freelance Mother’s Plea, asking everyone to share some of the ways they coped with keeping children occupied while trying [...] [...] back, I posted A Freelance Mother’s Plea, asking everyone to share some of the ways they coped with keeping children occupied while trying [...]

]]> By: Dana Prince http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-98 Dana Prince Wed, 03 Oct 2007 02:08:49 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-98 I have often let my 3 year old 'wash' tupperware at the sink. I also pulled his colouring table beside my desk so that sometimes he 'works' while I work. HE does crafts while I write :) Sometimes I get ten to fifteen minutes by giving him a spray bottle of water and a cloth. He'll wash the cupboards and kitchen floor and spray all my houseplants with them, lol. When all else fails, we make a deal that I'll read two stories and then he gives Mommy some work time or we'll go outside for an hour and then I'll put a movie on for an hour so we both win. Once, it was really hot out and I turned the hose on in the back yard and draped it over the upper deck so he could run under it. I sat with a pen & paper off to the side in a lawn chair writing an outline for a project so we both got outside and I got some work done too :) Great post, I think I'll feature this one on my blog this week through some link love :) Cheers, Dana I have often let my 3 year old ‘wash’ tupperware at the sink. I also pulled his colouring table beside my desk so that sometimes he ‘works’ while I work. HE does crafts while I write :)

Sometimes I get ten to fifteen minutes by giving him a spray bottle of water and a cloth. He’ll wash the cupboards and kitchen floor and spray all my houseplants with them, lol.

When all else fails, we make a deal that I’ll read two stories and then he gives Mommy some work time or we’ll go outside for an hour and then I’ll put a movie on for an hour so we both win.

Once, it was really hot out and I turned the hose on in the back yard and draped it over the upper deck so he could run under it. I sat with a pen & paper off to the side in a lawn chair writing an outline for a project so we both got outside and I got some work done too :)
Great post, I think I’ll feature this one on my blog this week through some link love :)
Cheers,
Dana

]]> By: Joe Cheray http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Joe Cheray Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:21:31 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-82 I am fortunate that my son is now in school full time. Although I do still only have staggered hours that I can get actual work done, as I am also carrying 14 hours this semester, but somehow I am managing two blogs, my son, a message board,a main web site and the Blog Mastermind program. When do I find time to sleep I do. I just learned to finally manage my time wisely and to dovetail when and if at all possible. Him being at home on the weekends is a mixed blessing I let him be is own movie chooser and let him have run of the TV we don't have cable so all he has is his movies and his video games and toys. I am fortunate that my son is now in school full time. Although I do still only have staggered hours that I can get actual work done, as I am also carrying 14 hours this semester, but somehow I am managing two blogs, my son, a message board,a main web site and the Blog Mastermind program. When do I find time to sleep I do. I just learned to finally manage my time wisely and to dovetail when and if at all possible. Him being at home on the weekends is a mixed blessing I let him be is own movie chooser and let him have run of the TV we don’t have cable so all he has is his movies and his video games and toys.

]]> By: Deb http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Deb Sun, 30 Sep 2007 03:49:23 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-79 An after school mom's helper can be a lifesaver. I wasn't WAH at the time but had 4 from newborn to 6 years, so when my husband was on TDY we would have one of the girls come in so I could be "off the clock" at home for a couple of hours. Yes, it was a hire, but I was home so pay was 1/2 sitting rate plus snack. I was a block from the school so they walked to the house and I drove them home. Well, one was a driver and I did offset her gas money. (My daughter uses a form of this to pre-train her new sitters.) Maybe this is something that works as one facet of your solution which will have many alternatives. Good luck. An after school mom’s helper can be a lifesaver. I wasn’t WAH at the time but had 4 from newborn to 6 years, so when my husband was on TDY we would have one of the girls come in so I could be “off the clock” at home for a couple of hours.

Yes, it was a hire, but I was home so pay was 1/2 sitting rate plus snack. I was a block from the school so they walked to the house and I drove them home. Well, one was a driver and I did offset her gas money. (My daughter uses a form of this to pre-train her new sitters.)

Maybe this is something that works as one facet of your solution which will have many alternatives. Good luck.

]]> By: deep.thought http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-73 deep.thought Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:02:41 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-73 My two boys are a little older now (10 and 16) and the dog left home ages before my eldest started discussing flying the nest. However the old adage about 'been there bought the t-shirt' springs to mind. Thank you for the memories and making me smile. My two boys are a little older now (10 and 16) and the dog left home ages before my eldest started discussing flying the nest. However the old adage about ‘been there bought the t-shirt’ springs to mind.

Thank you for the memories and making me smile.

]]> By: Tamara Berry http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Tamara Berry Sat, 29 Sep 2007 15:46:00 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-72 I laughed out loud when I read your reply about the wrecked musical instruments. Nowhere in the blog posting does it mention the musical instruments being destroyed...and yet, they are. It's so great to hear from parents who know exactly what I mean, even when I don't say it! I laughed out loud when I read your reply about the wrecked musical instruments. Nowhere in the blog posting does it mention the musical instruments being destroyed…and yet, they are. It’s so great to hear from parents who know exactly what I mean, even when I don’t say it!

]]> By: deep.thought http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-68 deep.thought Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:13:05 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-68 That made me smile, by the end of the article I this comical mental picture of you at your keyboard typing away creatively and behind you there's your daughter, the dog, a ball and whole heap of wrecked musical instruments. Thank you. That made me smile, by the end of the article I this comical mental picture of you at your keyboard typing away creatively and behind you there’s your daughter, the dog, a ball and whole heap of wrecked musical instruments.

Thank you.

]]> By: Melissa Garrett http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Melissa Garrett Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:39:24 +0000 http://emomsathome.com/freelance-parent/a-freelance-mother%e2%80%99s-plea/#comment-66 Your list sounds a lot like mine!! I'm lucky that my two oldest kids are in school, but I still have an almost 27-month-old at home who requires almost constant attention. I do all my work at the dining room table, so I usually bring out a supply of crayons & paper, books, favorite toys. I also let her have free-reign over our plastic container cupboard in the kitchen and pull up a chair to a sink filled with water. We do a lot of singing and dancing plus a fair amount of Noggin (she loves Little Bear and The Upside Down Show). My work seems to go in short spurts, too. Projects usually take twice as long as they should, due to having to stop and start. As much as I love having her with me, I am looking forward to preschool twice a week - six free hours to work!! Your list sounds a lot like mine!! I’m lucky that my two oldest kids are in school, but I still have an almost 27-month-old at home who requires almost constant attention. I do all my work at the dining room table, so I usually bring out a supply of crayons & paper, books, favorite toys. I also let her have free-reign over our plastic container cupboard in the kitchen and pull up a chair to a sink filled with water. We do a lot of singing and dancing plus a fair amount of Noggin (she loves Little Bear and The Upside Down Show). My work seems to go in short spurts, too. Projects usually take twice as long as they should, due to having to stop and start. As much as I love having her with me, I am looking forward to preschool twice a week – six free hours to work!!

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