How Family Members can Offer Support towards the Freelance Writer
The family of the freelance writer has to understand that although freelance writing is a job that is often conducted at home, it is a real job that requires uninterrupted hours so a task is completed effectively and timely. The freelance writer might enjoy flexibility in working schedule, but it is imperative that sufficient number of hours is set aside per day to be dedicated to the task of writing and other activities related to it, such as research, editing, and others.
The following are what family members can do to help the freelance writer be productive and be successful in his task:
The role of the spouse
The spouse of the freelance writer will be his or her number one support. Wait, forget support! But make the spouse the back-up plan. In times when it is critical that the freelance writer must stay on the job because of a deadline that is closing in, or because he or she is on a roll, and the flow of creative ideas must not be interrupted, the spouse of the freelance writer must be ready to step in, taking care of everyday chores. The chores may be small, like picking up the children from school, emptying and loading the dishwasher, taking out the trash, folding laundry, giving the children their snack, walking the dog and others, but if the freelance writer doesn’t have to do them momentarily, it will help him or her devote more time to writing. It will be a great help to the freelance writer mentally if he or she knows that the house is not going to be torn apart when he or she is confined in the home office.
The spouse of the freelance writer will also be the enforcer of house rules in the absence of the freelance writer. These rules will include that noise will be kept down while the freelance writer is buried in his/her work. Another rule that needs to be enforced is that the freelance writer is not to be disturbed during work time. If the spouse is not there to enforce these rules, then the freelance writer will have to stop his/her work to deal with the distractions. It is vital that the spouse will step-in and keep things under control to keep the household in order, granting that he or she is present during the freelance writer’s working hours.
The spouse of the freelance writer will also be his or her mental and emotional support. Sometimes a writer struggles for inspiration, or has a hard time focusing or getting fired-up about a job at hand. The encouragement and the belief of the spouse that the freelance writer is up for the task will be of moral boost. If the spouse doesn’t know what to say, how about making a cup of coffee? Thoughtfulness will always be appreciated.
What the children need to understand
This is hard because at any age, children can easily feel neglected when parents are not paying attention to them. The freelance writer is obviously working hard to buy his family a better life, and the last thing that he or she wants to do is to make his/her family unhappy. It is therefore, important to explain to children why dad or mom cannot be disturbed during the time that he or she is working. It must be explained to children that the parent is not ignoring them purposely, and that he or she is simply working, and work is going to be done. When work is done, dad or mom is going to rejoin the family and have some fun. Just make sure that promises are kept. Once children understand the process and know that there is time allotted for everything, namely work and play, it will be easier for them to cooperate, be patient and be supportive. Once an understanding is established, the compliance to house rules will be much easier for children. Other than keeping the noise down and not disturbing the freelance writer during work time, adhering to set bedtime is also an important rule that kids need to follow. Again, the spouse of the freelance writer can help enforce this rule.
Children must also learn some independence and responsibility (only when age appropriate). They must learn to tidy their room before bedtime; brush their teeth without being told; get-along with one another; able to entertain themselves without the constant involvement of parents. They must learn about “independent” play, in a safe environment of course.
Support from friends and relatives
Friends and relatives need to be supportive toward the freelance writer. As a matter of fact they need to be supportive of anyone that they care about. Supportive means being tactful and being positive. At a gathering of friends and relatives, the freelance writer would probably rather not talk about work, so everyone just needs to be themselves and enjoy each other’s company. A happy environment will certainly help anyone in a positive way, and freelance writers are no exceptions. They will benefit from people with positive vibes and positive outlook. There is no need for unsolicited advice. If freelance writers need specific information, they will ask for it. Writers are people who like to work independently. If they wanted a full staff, they would have chosen a different career, like oh maybe being a politician.
How can the freelance writer give back to family?
The freelance writer can give back to family and friends who have been supportive by being appreciative and thoughtful. He or she must not take anyone for granted including spouse, children and friends and must strive to spend personal time with each of them. He or she must set aside time for play which is healthy and essential.
