There is a lot of debate around whether writers can also make great parents. Articles like this one often scare young parents away from following their writing dreams because they worry their kids will suffer for it, or scare writers away from having children (even if they originally wanted to have them). But the truth of the matter is, you can excel at your writing career and at being a parent! Here are some reasons parents make the best writers. I hope it encourages you to chase your writing dream!
Parents have built-in patience. That same patience you need when your toddler is throwing a tantrum in Target is the same patience you’ll need throughout the book writing and publishing process. Nothing happens quickly in this industry, and patience is the key to success!
Parents know the value of time. Ten minutes to yourself might not have seemed like much before you had kids, but after kids it might as well be a vacation. You know how to use the time you have wisely, and not take it for granted. You can write a book with just ten minutes a day, you just have to make those minutes count!
Parents always do their research. Whether you’re trying to help your kiddo with homework or figure out what might be causing that skin rash, parents can dive into their research for hours until they’re experts. This will come in extremely handy to your writing—no great book was written without piles of research done beforehand!
Parents are practiced in using their imaginations. Kids love to play pretend, and usually their parents are the first ones they want to play with. That same imagination you’re using when playing Barbies, building blanket forts, or telling bedtime stories like my son and I did, is the imagination you’ll use when you write your stories. The more you practice the muscle, the better you’ll be!
Are you a parent who writes? Let me know in the comments below!