Summer. The word has different meanings to different people. For parents who work from home, it’s the beginning of chaos and trying to work in a tornado of activities and kids.

You want to spend time with your kids, but you don’t have the luxury of taking two months off work. While some writers might have that option, most don’t. So, what’s a writer to do?

Finding a balance between writing and spending time with family is an absolute so you avoid the evil eye from family members who want your time and attention.

While there’s no perfect method that’ll work for everyone, I hope sharing how I handle writing during summer gives you ideas to help writing go smoother this summer.

BE PREPARED

Start with batching and scheduling reoccurring tasks like social media posts. If you don’t use a scheduling program, free options like Hootsuite are available.  You can still share posts randomly, however if something unexpected arises-and it will-your social media accounts won’t become a deserted town during summer.

Write and schedule your blog posts. Whether you write one blog a week or a month, writing posts before the kids leave school or your summer holidays begin will save you time.

If you’re the kind of parent who likes to spend every day of the summer with your kids or you spend most of your summers on the road, scheduling your social media and blog posts is a viable option for you.

Planning two months’ worth of content takes a lot of time, so if it’s your first time, give yourself at least a week or two to set it up. Once you’ve written and scheduled everything, record how long it took so you’ll know for next year, or another time you need to plan content ahead of time.

OUTSOURCE

I love outsourcing tasks I’m either not good at, or hate doing. Believe it or not, you can do the same during summer. Am I a bad parent for pawning my kids unto someone else? Maybe, but they’ll get over it, especially if it’s something they enjoy.

Summer Camps

There are tons of options for all ages these days, the key is to pick ones that fit your budget and that your kids won’t hate and want to drop out half way through the week. Kids don’t need to be in camps for the entire summer, but 1-2 weeks will give you time to write.

Overnight camps are an option, if you and your child are comfortable with that choice. Like sleepovers, camps can be growing experiences for both you and your kids.

Babysitters

Babysitters aren’t just for date night. If your regular babysitter isn’t on vacation, why not use them to squeeze in an hour to two of writing?

Playdates

A wonderful way for your kids to spend time with kids they already know and love hanging out with, but don’t forget to return the favor. If your kids are older and can play unsupervised, this is a great option to squeeze in writing if the playdate is at your place.

Family visits

My parents live in Grand Cayman, and they love my oldest son staying with them during summer. My son gets to visit his grandparents and hang out with old friends. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Make sure your parents or family members can handle your kids.  You don’t want to burden your family-especially if they’re older, with rambunctious kids who will exhaust them.

There are also safety considerations if your kids are younger and the caretakers older. Have a plan so your kids know what to do if there’s an accident or if a health issue occurs.

JOURNALING

Whether it’s in notebook or a phone app, keeping a journal handy is a great way to squeeze in writing during the summer months.

Whenever an idea crops up, your journal is within reach to jot down notes. Boom! You’ve got future blog posts, a poem to polish later, or a new character to develop. If you’re really lucky, a new story.

The key is to record those story nuggets before they’re lost or you swear up and down you’ll remember later. Never happens! Write it down.

Writing during summer is possible if you plan and prepare.

Do you write during Summer?