Managing to Write with Children Around

Yes, I'm back. I know my presence has been missed. But today is your lucky day--two peeves in one post!

Peeve #1: All the writers out there whining about how hard it is to write when they're raising children. For some reason, the stay-at-home parents whose children are in school all day (all day, when the rest of us are at the office and unable to pursue our own writing, as it happens) are among the worst offenders here. It's too hard to write when you're raising children and keeping a home. There are so many errands and carpools to manage! You have to prepare dinner. Etc. Well, some of us have to manage our own households, prepare our own meals, AND devote at least 40 hours each week to earning a paycheck. We may not have children, but we don't have a whole lot of time to write, either.

Peeve #2: But in a way, I can empathize with some of the difficulties parent-writers encounter. You see, when I return to my apartment after work, I try to go right to the computer and focus on my writing. And it's a bit distracting to hear children yelling and screaming and racing up and down the hallway outside.

Now, I like children. I'm even related to some children I frankly adore. But there are times when I wonder why people seem utterly unconcerned with the effects their children have on others.

Like yesterday evening. When I stepped away from the computer and peeked out my front door, I saw that there were SIX children making a racket out there, four of whom live in apartments on our hallway. It was apparently too difficult to confine their late-in-the-day playdate to an apartment. And they do own the hallway, right?

There were no parents around--just nannies. I guess the parents were away somewhere. Maybe they were writing. I sure wasn't.

--Prunella Peeve