Thursday, June 2, 2011

Pros and Cons of Having a Writer for a Mom

I asked my kids what some of the good and bad things were about having a writer for a mom...and I filled some in from my own observations :D


  • Con - When she's working on a picture book, you get scolded in rhyme..."Please flush the toilet before you leave, wash your hands and turn off the light!Get those dang toys off my living room floor and don't make me break up that fight!"

    • Pro - You get the best bedtime stories EVER
    • Con - You spend your days with the tv and mealtimes with a box of cereal
    • Pro - You spend your days with the tv and mealtimes with a box of cereal
    • Con - Mom tends to forget mundane things like doing the laundry and grocery shopping
    • Pro - You get to wear your Halloween costume to school for three days in row and live off of PopTarts and Goldfish crackers (*ahem* I'll admit to the junk food but my kids have never worn their costumes to school...they do occasionally have to wear their bathing suits to bed instead of underwear but they always have a full set of clothing by the time they wake up :D )
    • Con - The house is a mess
    • Pro - Mom doesn't notice your room is also a mess and therefore doesn't make you clean it
    • Con - When Mom says "Just a second, I just need to finish this scene real quick" this really means you'll see her in about a week
    • Pro - You can get away with a lot more than usual because she's usually too distracted to notice what you are doing
    • Pro - It's kinda cool to have your mom come to your school and read one of her books to your class
    • Con - Mom can be kind of a dork so it's not always so cool to have your mom come to your school to read a book to your class
    • Pro - you get a bunch of books dedicated to you and you can tell all your friends you helped your mom write her latest book
    • Pro - As soon as Mom's project is done you get extra special attention to make up for all the hours she spent glued to the computer
    • Pro - It's kind of fun to have a mom with an imagination as big as your own

      What would your kids say are the pros and cons of having a writer for a mom or dad?

    9 comments:

    Katrina L. Lantz said...

    Awesome list! I love how some of these are pros AND cons because that's just life, isn't it?

    Your kids are lucky to have such a talented mom, and I do think a bit of leaving them on their own can help to cultivate self reliance. Case in point, my four-year-old has been able to make himself breakfast for months now (not that he has to, generally, but when I'm up until 2am writing or watching Dr. Who for inspiration, it helps).

    Yeah, I figure having a writer mom is a mixed blessing/curse for kids. Well said!

    LinWash said...

    I agree with Katrina. Since I don't have kids, my nieces and nephews can list their own pros and cons of having an aunt who is a writer and a master's student who studies the YA books they read. Pro: They get a ton of free books, since I usually have the latest ones. Con: Sometimes I forget their names, but I can remember the names of my characters and their favorite colors.

    Elena Solodow said...

    Aw, that's so sweet! Don't have kids yet, but I"m sure they'll be treated to the same pros and cons.

    Misha Gerrick said...

    Hehehe I love this post!

    My gran is a writer and my BIGGEST PRO EVER was when she named a character after me. ^_^

    Ruth said...

    A great pro/con list! Kind of makes me want to scold my own kids in rhyme, even though they're teenagers:

    Stop that texting! End that chat!
    No, you can't go dressed like THAT.
    Curfew's past, and you are late--
    and next time, let us meet your date!

    Michelle McLean said...

    LOL awesome Ruth :D

    Timothy Power said...

    I think having a parent who's caught up in a creative endeavor would be awesome! Much easier to forgive them for that than spending too much time on a boring old job. :)

    swachski said...

    Pro - Mom asks for my opinion on something she wrote.

    Con - Mom asks my friends for their opinion on something she wrote.

    HD Elliott said...

    No kids myself, and my Dad wasn't a picture book author, but he would write our excuse notes for the school office in doggerel. I'd go in to get a couple of aspirin for a headache and be greeted by the school secretary with, "Your father is just so funny!" Let me die of mortification now. (But secretly, I was proud.)