How to Find Time for Blogging In Your Busy Life

As a mom blogger (though I don’t like that term – I’m so much more!) I really have to set aside time for blogging.  I’ve been doing this for 3 years now, and guess what – I haven’t magically found a “good time” for working on my blog.

Time management can be a challenge at the best of times.  As a working parent and wife, with my children taking swimming lessons and 3 or 4 hours of dance EACH per week, time really gets away from me.  This is where I complain about the laundry never being folded and put away, or the clutter never quite getting put back where it belongs.  But really, as long as my family is clean, fed, and housed, the rest is just gravy, isn’t it?

Related: Blogging and Working Mom – Can I Do Both?

I’m going to share the ways I fit blogging into my busy life.  From hiding from the family to sneaking in work at work (or while waiting for the kids) I’ve blogged during every minute of the day over the last few years.  

How to Find Time for Blogging in Your Busy Life

Use your evening time wisely.

When the kids are small they go to bed early (hopefully.)  Even now, Rose goes to bed around 7:30pm, which would leave me more than an hour of evening working time.  But Emma (who is 9 going on 16) stays up til 8:30, and then wants some bedtime chat.  I love our evenings, but it leaves me very little time for working on my blog now. 

If you still have early bedtime kiddos, use some of the evening time for either writing, or doing those other tasks (social media sharing, image creating, joining or commenting on linkys) that suck up so much time.

Related: What I Don’t Enjoy About Blogging

Analyze your schedule.

Life is busy, there’s no denying it.  But you likely have a weekly schedule that helps you get through the days.  Take a few minutes and go through the schedule – see where you may have “free” time. 

Maybe you get home first and have 15 minutes before the rest of the family gets in.  Or perhaps everyone else gets home first and starts dinner, so you could theoretically stay at work for an extra 15 minutes and use that time for blogging. 

I find I come up with post ideas at work sometimes, so I take some time on my breaks to jot the ideas down (or paper, or in my phone) so I can remember them and come back to them later.  Believe it or not, there are likely some tiny spots in your schedule you could use to at least jot down a list of 3 or 4 points for fleshing into a post later on!

Use “waiting time.”

I know a lot of parents like to sneak in tasks or errands when their kids are at extra curricular activities.  That is a great use of time, especially kid free time.  But for me, I love sitting at the dance studio and working on my blog.  There’s wifi, and a cafe downstairs if I get hungry, but the one night per week that I’m routinely there is really quiet so there aren’t many other parents distracting me from my work. 

If you are lucky enough to have a space at your children’s activities where you can bring the computer and get some writing done, I say go for it!  If not, you can even get some work done with your phone, and that’s great too. (I don’t like doing “work” on my phone, but sometimes it has to be done!)

Related: Everything Happens Online Now (And I Can’t Keep Up!)

If the kids are old enough, block your time.

My girls know when I need to get something done.  Once in a great while I will have a campaign I need to work on (deadlines!) and so I have a talk with them about letting me work for a bit.  This approach doesn’t always work, but I facilitate it by putting on a movie, or coordinating them going out with my husband when he’s running errands.  If there’s a way to keep the kids “busy” while I’m feeling the urge to get stuff done on my blog, I’ll take advantage!

Put on a movie, or send them outside for an hour and tell them not to come back in unless they’re bleeding or have to pee.  Also if they’re wanting to go to their friend’s home, this is an ideal time to work on your blog. 

Use your support network.

If your kids are older like mine, call on your support network to help you find time.  We have family here that would be happy to watch the kids on a weekend day (and they do – a lot!)  And we also have a great close-by babysitter who can be available with short notice.  Yes, we have to pay her to come by, but if my work is directly going to make me money I have no problem paying someone to hang out with my girls.

There is also the option of the kid’s friends.  Visiting friends and going to birthday parties can also give you 2 hours or more kid-free so use that time to get that blog work done.  Just be sure to volunteer your home to the cause and return the favour for the other parents who keep your kid safe and happy for you sometimes!

Having a busy life and trying to make it as a blogger can be exhausting.  I hope you can take away a few ideas to help you find time for blogging in your own schedule.  Be sure to let me know when you find (or make) time for your own blog work.  Let’s inspire each other in the comments!

~Jess

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