Believe it or not, this is the topic that I was most looking forward to reading from other moms, especially working moms. This is a constant struggle for me and I'd love some tips on how other moms make it work!
With that... here's how I find the time to blog.
Blogging is a hobby for me. I don't do it for others, I do it for me. I like sharing my story. I like the digital scrapbook that it has created for me (and I actually refer back to it often). I like connecting with other women. I never feel like it is a burden, like I have to sit down to blog. I share content that is relevant to my life and that is true to who I am. I feel like blogging has helped me become a better photographer and writer (though I by no means think I am good, I just can tell I've gotten better).
I find time to blog because I want to blog. It is important to me, so I find time in my busy schedule to do so. The majority of the week, I go to work in the morning (at 7am or 8am) and come home between 4pm-5pm. Occasionally, I will hop on the computer in the morning, but it's usually to link up my post to the host of the link up. I don't wake up early enough to spend actual time on the computer. Depending upon what time I get home from work, I will hop on the computer for an hour-ish or until Seth and Mason get home. (Seth (almost) always picks up Mason from daycare because it is on his way home from work and would be more out of the way for me. So for convenience purposes, Seth picks him up in the afternoon and I drop him off in the morning.) Once they get home, it's family time and I shut off the computer.
Plus, let's be honest. Has anyone ever tried to blog while the toddler is awake? It goes a little something like this :
...Mason checking out what I'm doing followed by banging his hands on the keyboard and me being terrified that he's going to delete everything I just did. Or my blog all together.
And then he steals the computer.
So it's better left off while he's awake :)
On the occasional day that I work at 11am, I will drop Mason off at daycare around 7:45am to keep the consistency. I will either run a couple errands or come home and do house errands (like dishes or laundry, etc) or blog. I try to get in at least one post before I have to leave for work because when I get home at night at 8pm, I help put Mason to bed and then it's time for dinner, a little TV, prepping lunches for the next day, and bed.
Long story short? When do I blog? Once a week between 8:30am-10am and all other day between 4ish/5ish-5:45pm and after 8pm.
After 8pm is when I really have time to blog. I also return emails and read blogs. I don't blog at work because I don't have time nor do I have access to a computer to do so. During my lunch would be the only time that I would be able to start (or finish) a post, but I don't have access to my pictures and I would have to blog from my phone (which is difficult), so I just don't. But, having said that, after 8pm doesn't really give me a lot of time to do anything either. So, on the weekdays, I try to prioritize. I respond to any people that have commented, I prep my post for the next day, and then I hop on over to bloglovin and read as many blog posts as I can before I think I am going to fall asleep sitting up (which is usually between 9:30pm-10:30pm on most nights). It doesn't leave a lot of time for me to do what I want to do. I'd need probably an extra 3-4 hours a day for that.
The weekends are a bit easier because I am usually home when Mason naps. Nap time gives me a good 2-3ish hours to blog and catch up on all the posts that I wanted to read during the week but couldn't. So if you get lots of comments from me on a Saturday or Sunday, that's why :) Weekends are a great time to catch up on computer related things, but I have a rule : only when Mason is sleeping (nap time and after bed time). Weekends are also the only time that I really get to spend time with my family so the majority of the day, the computer is off, the phone is put away (except for picture taking) and I'm enjoying time with my boys.
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Linking up with Sara from Running from the Law, Ashley from Words About Waverly, Courtney from From Here to Eternity and the other lovely co-hostesses of the One Year and Beyond series.
Yeah I really don't know how you working moms find the time to blog regularly and respond to comments! I'm so impressed, I think I'd choose sleep lol.
ReplyDeleteI blog for the same reasons! It's such a good way to document our lives, and if no one else wants to read but me, I'm totally fine with that. I've even considered formatting the blog so I can print it off into book form and give it to Marcus one day.
ReplyDeleteI need to be better about turning off the computer when our whole family is home. It's so easy to sit down and edit photos, go over posts, etc. I'm really working on doing all my blogging during nap times only.
I admire you working mamas!!! You guys are like super hero's. :) Thanks for linking up with us again :)
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard being a working mom to find the time to blog! I totally agree! And I've found that the blogging part isn't the hardest part sometimes - it's being responsive to readers and keeping up with other blogs and commenting. That takes some serious commitment, but it's so worth it.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you - I wish there were more hours in the day! Finding time is super hard when you work full time, especially trying to keep up on reading other blogs. One of these days I need to sit down and write out my full schedule so I have blocks of time when I can write and do bloggy stuff.
ReplyDeleteThere is never enough time to do everything. At all. Ever! Priorities though. Haha, and blogging with a toddler that is awake is a total joke, ain't gonna happen! I have recently been blogging 6 days a week, which I've never done before...but I just started working ahead. Before I just did the post the night before and if I didn't finish or didn't want to I just didn't post. Now I don't know how I did that! I try to work with a week at a time, prep and edit pictures and make sure I'm remembering link ups etc. SO much ... more organized and easier. I think reading other blogs though takes up at least 50% of my blog time. Blogging is a full time hobby for sure, and never done ha.
ReplyDeleteI too have been excited to read about this topic (as I need all the help I can get)!! Thanks for sharing your tips/schedule. It definitely has been enjoyable but does take commitment/time and I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm always so impressed by working moms especially that always have a new post up!! :)
ReplyDeleteDuring the school year this is totally me, though I often can catch a few blog reading opportunities during my prep time at school.
ReplyDeletethe reading other blogs and responding is where I struggle to find the time... getting my posts done a little ahead let's posting be the easy part - although some posts take a lot of prep - but the connecting which is the best part takes up a lot of time! I try to do that on my phone - when Callie has TV time but it's still hard bc she wants my phone too! :) Thanks for sharing your how! I always appreciate others ideas :)
ReplyDeleteSeems like you have a system that is working for you!
ReplyDeleteI haven't figured out a way to keep up with my blogging as a working Mom. I try to keep up with reading/commenting, but I am usually a week or so behind. I pretty much go to bed shortly after my boy does, so there is no time in the evenings. Weekends I tend to not get on the computer much at all. Maybe when my boy gets a little older I will figure it out! For now I am happy if I get my weekly picture posted! haha