This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs.
Missed part one? Check it out here! Otherwise, read on to find out some ideas on how to deal with children underfoot while working:
Work during the kid’s naps.
This is only if your children are young enough to still be taking naps. Many mothers plan on nap time to get stuff done, but many times they don’t know how long their kids will sleep or when. It’s too iffy to plan on this exclusively to get all of your work done.
Work while your kids are at school.
This is only an option if your kids are old enough to be in school, of course. This is a good option for those who want to be able to be at home while their kids are at school in case something happens and they have to run to the school at the last moment to pick up a sick child. They also have the flexibility to help out on school trips and parties, which a regular bricks and mortar job may not provide that kind of flexibility.
Use videos to keep your children occupied while you’re working.
I have heard the same thing over and over again from parents in regards to doing this (I have asked about this on an MT forum to see what the responses were): “Videos work well, but I feel guilty for plopping them in front of the TV or computer and using a mechanical babysitter like that. I don’t feel like they’re learning and growing at all, and I only use this as a last resort.”
Work when the other spouse gets home from work.
If the husband is gone all day to work, then the wife can turn the kids over to the husband in the evening and work while he watches them. This requires a supportive spouse; I cannot tell you how many times I have heard a lady say on a forum that she and her husband were really struggling in debt, and so she decided to start transcribing, but the husband would refuse to watch the kids while she worked because that cut into his free time. Perhaps I’m being overly judgmental here, but that kind of thing really gets me riled up. If the wife is watching the kids all day long while the husband works, the husband can watch the kids in the evening while the wife works. Do you want that extra income or not? It’s amazing how many husbands are not supportive in that way. The other big problem this presents is that you are rarely together as a family, and you rarely spend time with your spouse, because either one or the other is working all the time. It’s all a big trade-off.