Comments on: What Do Freelance Writers Do On Take Your Kids To Work Day?

By: Kathleen L

Kathleen L — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:21:11 +0000

Joan – yes, when I was able to stay at home and either work on the family farm or just be the stay-at-home working part-time writer, especially as I was working on the family farm and being a full-time mom… things were better with my kids. They too stayed out of more trouble. I noticed that since my divorce and my need to go back into the workforce full-time to cover the overhead… my kids say… “I miss you going on all the fieldtrips,” etc. They are pushing the envelope a bit too.

I tell you… I miss having the flexible enough schedule too. I miss going on the field trips and whatever. I enjoyed spending that time with my kids.
It is a bit harder to explain to a boss… got a call from the school I’m headed to the ER… bye… but they are, at least, understanding when that occurs and with three kids… two of whom are allergic to bee/wasp stings :[ , one who is fond of ambulance rides (so she says)… I find myself wishing for a full-time writing life or at least a life back on a farm with a part-time writing life.

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:12:33 +0000

Allena, isn’t it odd how our kids get older but we don’t age?

By: Allena

Allena — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:11:41 +0000

hmm My children are older (although I’m not, lol) so I could probably do a lot more than I do with them now. I have these feminist leanings,s o I like to press upon my daughtr that mommy works just as much as dad and sometimes earns just as much money for the family and home as dad does. Guess I could be showing instead of telling her.

By: Joan

Joan — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:18:26 +0000

I’ve always been a work-at-home mom so my kids grew up seeing me toiling away but always there to doctor a scrape, wipe away tears, and give out snacks. Our youngest daughter, now a teacher dealing with high school kids, said that the fact I was always home was one reason she didn’t get into trouble the way so many of her peer group did. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’ll take a parenting compliment anywhere I can get one. *g* There were some days I told them I didn’t want to be interrupted unless smoke or blood was present. They’d laugh, but they honored the dictum. All our kids turned out well though they all think I’m a bit weird.

By: John Clausen

John Clausen — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:15:16 +0000

I’ve worked at home pretty much for 30 years. When my son was a little over 1 1/2, we lived out in the country in a nice cedar home. My office was in the basement just off the rec room. One afternoon I heard the lad squealing with laughter in the next room. When I went to investigate what he and his mom were up to, he met me with a stern look and pointed to my office door. “Work,” he said. “Work.”

Now he’s 18 and a fine writer all on his own. He’ll sometimes lean over my shoulder and let me know that I’ve misplaced a comma or committed some other offense…but no one has ever sent me scurrying back to the keyboard quite as efficiently as that finger-pointing tyke those years ago.

By: Graham Strong

Graham Strong — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:21:16 +0000

Exactly! But I just realized one advantage — now they get to use a cart… lol

~Graham

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:18:45 +0000

LOL, play golf?

By: Graham Strong

Graham Strong — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:21:13 +0000

@Anne’s Comment – Yes, the good thing about working from home is that you are always there for the kids. Of course the bad thing about working from home is that you are always there for the kids…

This question reminds me of another conundrum: what do professional golfers do when they retire?

~Graham

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:05:34 +0000

My hunch is that freelancers often, maybe even usually, involve their kids in their work… to the benefit (and frustration) of all concerned.

By: Kathleen L

Kathleen L — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:49:44 +0000

I agree, working at home is the plus of being a freelancer.
I used to have a family farm (before the divorce) and so ever since I had my first child, some nearly 17 years ago, I have been a work from home mom and taking my children to the “office” has always been something I have done. Even when we showed horses for clients out of town, out of state, etc. I always took my kids to the events with us. And since my son was 6 months old I have been adding freelancing to my family’s life… and now that I am working outside the home more and more my kids have trouble understanding that they can’t come to the office with me any time they want to. :[
Oh for the days I was just working at the home location.