Trying to write while parenting littles
It's a bit of a miracle this post got written and published...
My baby napped for over two hours this afternoon while my toddler was also having the nap of a lifetime. It would have been a prime time to work on my novel, write this post, finally finish the short story I’ve been working on for months, anything writing-related! There was just one problem. I was nap-trapped.
For those of you who may not know, “nap-trapped” is the situation in which a child falls asleep in their parent’s arms, rendering them unavailable for any activity other than holding them, aka trapped by the nap, aka “nap-trapped.”
Being nap-trapped is such a beautiful problem to have. Already, I cradle my two-year-old far less than I’m used to, and I know that this time with my current baby is just as fleeting. It’s a sacred moment of quietness and bonding. It’s a demonstration of my overwhelming love. It makes my child feel protected and warm. It’s unlike anything else.
It also really eats at a parent’s day, especially if your child is of an age when they’re napping all the time, and they’re extra clingy and require your arms around them in order to fall asleep. I’ve had two such babies. I love cradling them to sleep. I love holding them tight. I struggle with feeling like I’m not doing anything.
Frankly, I am baffled by the parents of young children who are getting stuff done. There are days I barely get the dishwasher loaded, let alone any hand washing that needs doing. I’m always doing laundry last-minute. And I don’t really want to talk about how long it took me to finally vacuum our living room.
And then there are the authors who are finding time to write with young children?! How? This is the longest writing period I’ve had since my second was born, and I’m doing it with Baby grunting at me from her rocker and Toddler crawling in and out of my lap. Quickly, how did I find this moment to write? Let me think:
My kitchen is only a semi-disaster. You know, just enough to still function. The living room is rather tidy at the moment, so I don’t feel totally overwhelmed. Baby didn’t fall asleep in my arms last time I fed her. I knew exactly what I wanted to write about. I felt oddly inspired (when’s the last time that happened?). I decided to ignore my pile of to-do’s. Hmm…
All this to say, as a parent of littles, it just feels like there’s too little time for all the things I want to do. Whenever I happen to have a moment that isn’t dedicated to feeding, dressing, playing with, enriching, and loving these little humans, I feel pulled in a million directions: take a nap myself, tackle the dishes, fold the laundry, write, workout, nurture my relationship with my husband, relax.
If you’re reading this and you’ve magically found a trick for writing (or doing whatever it is you do) more often, I’d love to hear it!
And if you’re on the struggle bus like me, I see you. It won’t last forever. Enjoy the snuggles.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, my baby’s grunts and giggles have swiftly turned to whining and hand sucking. Gotta go parent!