Writing Between Pancake Flips: Finding time to write as a busy parent

When you are busy and a writer, and you want to be busy writing, sometimes your only time is in the spaces between. And if you happen to be a parent, well those spaces might come in between pancake flips. And that’s okay. It’s better than okay. Because you are making time for something you love while taking care of little creatures that you love. 

Sure it isn’t the hours long session you wanted, and you probably won’t reach the word count you were hoping for, but here’s a secret. It’s okay.

Finding the balance between a hectic life, and writing will take time and learning which spaces work best is different for everyone. I learned that I barely had time to look at the last thing I wrote before it was time to flip a crepe, and unless it's a plain omelet, there are too many moving parts what with the chopping and sauteeing, then sprinkling of the cheese, then adding the filling, then flipping the omelet, that writing muse doesn’t have time to strike. 

The sweet spot? Pancakes and waffles. With your stove on medium low, you pour the batter, then wait. You have about a minute, maybe more depending on your stove, and pan’s heat conduction (or waffle griddle setting). That is plenty of time to read what you last wrote, and add to it. 

Obviously there are more spaces to write besides pancake flips. Waiting at the doctor’s office, waiting in your car while your children are in their classes, or maybe in the few minutes you take to drink your morning coffee (or tea). Writing in the spaces between doesn’t mean you’ll never have a longer session. For me, those brief sprints turned writing into something to look forward to. Now, when I have a longer stretch of time available to me, I choose writing, because writing, like chocolate, is my treat. Something I can do just for myself.