Does online work get in the way of family time?

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Oh, this one´s a biggie for me. And I don´t just mean since I became a mom. I´ve always worked a lot, ever since I was very very young. Maybe it´s because I love what I do.

Does social media interfere with your family time?

It´s hard to balance online work and life! (c) Shutterstock

Even setting up this website and blog. I didn´t do it in little pockets of time here and there. On the last stretch, I worked hour upon hour non-stop because I was so excited about it. I remember not taking a shower the last few days. I´m not exactly proud of this, mind you!

Once I get immersed in a project, whether it be a website, an article for a publication, a book, even training for a marathon or pursuing new yoga asanas, I can get pretty obsessed with it.

This doesn´t mean that I forget to pick up the kids from school, or cook dinner when it´s my turn. Which brings me to, it´s hardly ever my turn lately. My husband my business partner and also a novelist, is a big part of how I can do so much. He picks up my slack. But when he´s not around, I do what I gotta do.

Does your online work interfere with your family time

My kids enjoy the perks of my work too (c) Viva Fifty media

I also lived as a single mom for a while, and managed to juggle (not balance) work with being a parent. So somehow, I pulled it, and apparently still manage to, pull it off.

I do find it hard to switch gears. I am not an early riser and very often when my eldest, 15, walks in the door, back from high school, I´m barely getting into the swing of things. And as soon as I hit a groove: I´m writing what I think is a great blog post, or researching my next article, bam, it´s time to shut down the computer and go pick up the younger ones from school.

Sometimes I´m so into writing or working, that everyday life, even parenting, seems like a distraction! It´s hard to admit, but it´s true!

Does your work interfere with family life?

Chloe thought meeting Rosario Dawson at Hispanicize was pretty cool!

So, when people ask me how I manage life-work balance, my honest answer is that I don´t! I have no clue first-hand what life-work balance is. Sometimes I feel guilty because I may be missing out on quality time with my family.

But then I work from home, I never miss an event at school, I am here to help the kids out with their homework. At least as long as it isn´t Math! And we always have dinner together, every single night!

Sometimes I lie down with my daughters at night and we chat about our day. We follow each other on social media and comment face to face about our posts. Or we Snapchat together. Hey, who said laughing hysterically about face swap isn´t quality time? We also get mom-daughter massages, go to yoga class together and enjoy a good movie as a family at the theater.

Does your online work interfere with family life?

Do you think she looks happy? This is from her Snapchat!

Even better, we often get to work together! The kids participate in sponsored campaigns online and even get to come to video shoots and social media conferences or press trips. And trust me, they enjoy it!

And then there´s this other thing. My dad worked a lot too when I was a kid. He had a language school which kept him busy until 10 pm every day. I would listen for his footsteps when he came up the stairs late at night. I relished every second of his night-time cuddles and stories.

But when I think of my childhood and adolescence I don´t recall him not being there. What I remember the most are the Saturday evenings we spent together at the bookstore. The times we would run or bike together. And eventually our conversations about writing, about life and happiness.

My father has written and published so many books, that I´ve lost count! I grew up without a mom, so he was my point of reference.

And so, thanks to his hard work, I have a strong work ethic. Thanks to his hard work, I was able to attend a bilingual school. And thanks to his hard work I was inspired to follow in his footsteps and write books.

So today I believe that by pursuing my dreams in front of my children – I work from home and always have – maybe I will set them up for success. The kind of success that comes from living life on your own terms.

And well, I need to go. It´s actually time for me to throw on a pair of pants and go pick up the littles!

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One Comment on “Does online work get in the way of family time?

  1. I love this! And it’s so me! I too, often get so obsessed in my work and studies. We have alot of similarities! Thanks for sharing!

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