Many people with young children wonder if they can paint at home while their children are still young and not in school. The answer is yes! I questioned whether it could be done and doubted my efforts initially. I would tell myself one day, when the children are in school I’ll paint again. The opportunity to paint always seemed to be replaced with child care and household chores as many of us do.
My name is Ashlee and I’m a stay at home mom with three children under 5 years old. I’m also a prolific oil painter with a passion for painting and a drive to create. As painters we share a creative spirit, it’s a part of who we are. For those of us with young children, it can be difficult to find the time to paint. With good time management skills and structure to your day, you can paint and enjoy time with your kids. In fact, the two can compliment each other beautifully.
A typical structured day throughout the week typically looks like this; each morning I will set aside an hour of painting while the kids are enjoying snack time and doing their crafts. This routine allows me time to paint and the kids get to be creative as well. It’s important to step away from your painting to clear your mind and refresh your ideas. That is why after an hour we all clean up and enjoy outdoor time together. It’s helpful as a painter to simply leave it for a while. Once everyone has had some fun and lunch I will set aside another quiet hour for myself and keep the kids occupied with educational activities. Does this always run smoothly? No not always, lots of times I have to be prepared to stop and assist the kids if they need me but otherwise this sort of daily schedule flows nicely and keeps everyone happy.
Painting and parenting can go hand in hand. It takes determination and a genuine passion for our craft to maintain a consistent painting schedule but if you structure your day in such a way that the kids also benefit from creativity it will definitely be a great day and you’ll find that you’re painting just as you always could. So don’t put it aside, make the time for yourself and everyone will benefit. Cheers and happy painting!
12″ x 16″ – oil on linen canvas
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