Balancing Podcasting and Parenting: Tips for Back-to-School Season
Balancing podcasting and life can be difficult enough without little ones running around. But navigating parenting responsibilities and podcasting adds an extra layer of multi-tasking that, although very worth while, can be daunting. For us balancing podcasting and parenting may look different than others. As between the two of us, we have a newborn and toddler at home, so we work around the schedule that we create. This may look like working outside while my toddler plays or while Aleea’s baby sleeps. These efforts will change when school approaches.
Having to navigate getting ready for school, after school pickups, homework, and more on top of what we’ve gotten used to during the summer. Podcasters who are parents not only have to consider when to schedule meetings, record and edit but also providing their children with food, activities, naps, and more. So how do you keep up with podcasting while making sure your children are happy and healthy?
Set Realistic Expectations
First, we need to recognize that not all families and routines look the same. What works perfectly today may not work well tomorrow. But we do what we can to balance podcasting and parenting. It is important to set realistic expectations, giving more time then you would expect for each activity.
Planning, whilst staying flexible, is key:
Start with what you know:
How many hours of work do you have and how many hours do you have free?
Schedule what you can actually control:
You may know when drop off, pick-up, and activities are. Use those times to schedule your work blocks
Based on what you have to do each day - allot the achievable tasks.
for example:
Wednesday’s my daughter has an activity scheduled at 10 am, I have two meetings, from 12-2, and daughter naps at 3pm. Realistically, I have an hour before we leave for her activity and 2 hours after I get her to nap, to get work done. 3 hours gives me time to write a blog, send emails, and create one social media post.
vs. Friday’s my daughter has no activities and naps at 3 pm. While I have to entertain her at home, I can work while doing so and have closer to 6 hours to work that day. I can record or edit an episode, create a few social media posts, and take time to plan my next week.
If you’re at all worried that you are scheduling things to close to each other, you probably are! If there’s a day that is just too busy, give yourself a break and ‘take the day off’.
Establish a Consistent Routine
Routines are really helpful while balancing podcasting and parenting! Having an established routine such as: wake up before the kids and get ready for the day
make breakfast
get the kids to school
work
break/lunch
work
pick up kids and drive to activities.
With routines you and the kids know what to expect and will likely keep a similar schedule but it leaves flexibility to get work done without sticking to a rigid timeline. BLK Pod Collective has a blog on “Balancing Motherhood and Podcasting” that has some great tips.
Additionally, communicating your routine with those around you, friends/family, will help you while balancing podcasting and parenting. For example, if you know you need 2 hours every Tuesday to record and edit and you are supposed to have a play date with friends - letting them know that you need to be done by x time or won’t be available until x time allows not only yourself but your friend to keep you accountable and encourage you to stick to your schedule. Or even better, if you are in a situation where you have help, sharing your schedule with those supporting your children can allow you to set expectations for when you will be unavailable.
Leverage Time Management Techniques
Explore time management techniques for maximizing productivity and efficiency in both podcasting and parenting roles. Such as quiet time, this is something I’ve implemented with my nap skipping toddler. I often get a bulk of my work done during her nap time so on the days she does not nap, we do 30 min - 1 hour of quiet time (depends on what she can handle that day) so that I can be heads down and productive while she gets to practice independent play. You can also do things such as:
time blocking: (i.e. Mondays you take an hour between 11 am and 12 pm for editing, Tuesdays you take 2 hours between 2 pm and 4 pm for recording and social media, etc.) you know what to expect each week and will have an easier time managing parenting duties on top of running your podcast.
batch recording: on the days that you have ample time to work - record/edit/research 2-3 episodes so that you don’t have to work every single day
and prioritization: you have 2 tasks for an episode launching in 3 days and 5 tasks for an episode launching the following week. Instead of doing a day where you try to take on all 7 task, prioritize the 2 due in 3 days.
Identify pockets of time for podcasting tasks during school hours or after bedtime. Any time that you have more then 30 minutes at a time to work is best! Read more on “How to Save Time Podcasting” on our blog.
Involve Your Children in the Podcasting Process
If you’re anything like me, you don’t get much time without your little one under you. Making balancing podcating and parenting more difficult. While some of us have no choice there are benefits of involving your children in the podcasting process and making it a family activity. Such as involving the kids in social media posts, giving them a microphone and keyboard while you record, so they can “copy” you. Or even planning episodes so that they can be a part of them. In addition you can include your children in
brainstorming sessions
recording segments
or providing feedback on episode ideas
Most importantly set boundaries for your children while working. This is something I have definitely struggled with but staying consistent and holding my boundaries has made a world of a difference. My daughter now understands that when I say I need to get work done, I will set a timer and until the timer goes off she needs to play and is not supposed to interrupt me unless she needs something that she can’t do for herself. But I also manage my expectations and have to remember that she is a child and she will interrupt, having grace and taking time to give her attention sometimes allows me to get more work done than I even planned on.
Delegate Tasks and Seek Support
If able to, seeking support and delegating tasks can make balancing podcasting and parenting a much lighter load. Whether it’s delegating podcasting tasks or getting support with the children - asking for help will allow you to ‘do it all’ without hitting a wall.
Outsource tasks such as: editing, show notes, or social media management to free up time for parenting responsibilities
Ask for friends and/or family to help for an hour or two at a time
Plan playdates/activities to allow you to have more time for work
As they say “silent mouths don’t get fed” but as a full time mother and a full time worker I definitely understand how hard it can be to ask for help. Now I’ve learned that asking for help may look like (for me):
asking support to watch children for 1-2 hours, a manageable request, once or twice a week
Paying for a sitter once or twice a week for 2-3 hours a time to supplement the rest of the heads down work time I need
collaborating work tasks so that I can manage my work load
letting my partner know what my week looks like and where I might need support
This all requires clear communication and boundaries. Letting my friends and family know that I will not be available during certain hours or that I need help during those hours. While also letting my partner know if I don’t think I’ll be able to meet deadlines and or need to lessen my work load in upcoming weeks due to kiddo’s schedule.
Practice Self-Care and Prioritize Well-Being
Balancing podcasting and parenting is inevitably going to fail if you do not practice self-care and prioritize your well-being as both a podcaster and a parent! Knowing when to ask for help is important as well as adding boundaries that allow you to sleep, eat, and do what makes you happy. For example I:
don’t work past 6 pm or on weekends
spend time in my garden every morning
go outside with my daughter a minimum of 30 minutes every day
Being able to incorporate self-care activities into my routine, such as gardening and going to bed by 10 pm, allows me to center myself and get enough rest every day. Which in turn helps me best balance podcasting and parenting.
Conclusion
Like everyone reading this, I’m sure, I have days where everything goes to sh*t and it feels like I spent the day running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off. Getting back into my routine and communicating my needs to my partner and daughters father make balancing podcasting and parenting doable. When you have days where everything is going wrong remember to give yourself a rest and when you can breathe get back to:
creating a routine using:
time blocking
batch recording
and prioritization
delegating tasks and asking for support
involving your children when possible
and practicing self care (making it a part of your routine)
From one parent to another implementing these tips and finding a balance that works for their family is key to a successful podcast and parenting balance. Staying flexible and communicating our needs constantly will make navigating the demands of podcasting and parenting responsibilities feasible.
