Never mind “a room of one’s own”; I’d be happy with a laptop of my own. I don’t demand an office “space”. I’ve given up dreaming of even a desk of my own. I just want to use my laptop without waiting for Kate and Mim-Mim to finish downloading. Is nothing sacred?
Children. They pervade everything. The IPad, the IPhones, the Sky remote – all have a clammy coating of Haribo spittle and biscuit crumbs from the hot little paws of my offspring. I have to wipe my phone down before I can use it.
All of this I can bear. It’s family life. Their spittle is my spittle.
You want to look up a Power Ranger Mystic Force costume? Use my phone! You want to download Angry Birds Transformers? Here’s the IPad. You want to have a crazy “I am a gummy bear” disco? There’s the TV!
But not my laptop! Please, not my laptop! My laptop, that creates an office space for me, wherever I’m using it. That holds my latest burst of creativity suspended, waiting for me to finish it. All those windows open in my browser – they are the windows to my mind! They are my external hard drive. If you make my laptop freeze so I have to force quit, I lose thoughts I may never have again!
But there is a worse offender. How often do I come to my laptop and find Fantasy Football league tables?
“It was right there, so I used it!” he protests.
“Yours is just there! Use that!” I hiss.
“You can have it back in a minute, I just need to place this bet.”
“But I need to look at The White Company sale RIGHT NOW!”
I know, I know, my needs on the laptop are often frivolous, transitory and in no way contributory to the world or family good. But they are mine. And so is my laptop!
Dearest family, you can share my bed, you can share my bath, you can share my loo, you can share your lovely chocolatey drool when you kiss me. But if I can’t have a room of my own, as Virginia Woolf famously asserted is essential for a woman to write [fiction], at least grant me a laptop of my own.
Do you have a special space where you work / Pin / blog / shop? Is it constantly invaded? What of yours do you wish the kids would keep their mitts off?
No-one touches my laptop. It is the one thing that is mine and the children have been taught well – start as you mean to go on! x
Donna recently posted…Childs Farm Hand Wash
Our kids aren’t bad, but they are constantly all over PCs, iPads and phones. Only my work laptop is sacred, and the family PC after everyone has gone to bed. I’m considering booby-trapping our study door …
I feel your pain and you most definitely deserve a laptop all of your very own. I only have my own laptop as my daughter had a new one to go to uni and gave me her cast-off!
#PoCoLo
Izzie Anderton recently posted…Here and Now
Agh! What a nightmare. I think you need to make it a house rule! I know I have all this to come as my baby is still small, but she already gets her hands on my smartphone and ipad! Who would have thought! I don’t let her near my laptop… I hope it can remain that way!!
Lucy @ bottlefor2 recently posted…Mum skills from the 70’s
Haha I can understand that, and by the way I don’t think that The White Company sale is more frivolous and less important than fantasy football, quite the opposite! 😉 I’d settle for my own personal space a bit more, if I’m not carrying the baby I have a toddler climbing on my head 🙂
Caroline (Becoming a SAHM) recently posted…No more excuses
I’m glad you appreciate the importance of being the first to browse Chrissie’s edit on The White Company! Yes, personal space would be champion, too. Sigh.
Amen to that! All of my kids have some sort of tablet of their own and my boys have phones too. Plus my husband has his own laptop and phone, of course, yet still mine gets used.
‘The Kindle hasn’t got flash player on it.’
‘Mine wasn’t charged.’ etc etc.
I wouldn’t mind if they didn’t shut my tabs down – I have my blog, Twitter, FB, Picmonkey and Buffer open at all times. I want them there when I want them, not shut down because someone went on Mathletics or checked BBC Sport!
Sarah MumofThree World recently posted…The general knowledge quiz
I am exactly the same – no one can touch my laptop even though like you Monkey tries to grab it and says he wants to work like mummy! My iPad has now been lost to me – to both son and hubby who needs to watch Sky Sports on the go – I’ve even considered buying a iPad mini for myself but that’s just getting ridic. Make up isn’t just mine anymore either… Funnily enough the oven and stove seem to be left well alone, as is the washing machine 🙂 x
Ting at My Travel Monkey recently posted…Time Travel Thursday: Ravello and the Amalfi Coast
I think that its like your diary isnt it! Something that is yours and yours alone. My laptop is actually going bonkers and I fear for its life. I hope it will last longer. #pocolo
Merlinda Little ( @pixiedusk) recently posted…Where We Walked In Our School Run
Oh no! Please don’t fade away little laptop!
It is very true that we need some space to be creative, even if it is just mental space. My child is not old enough to take over electronic goods, it is my husband I need to contend with, which is harder. We have two laptops, but he’ll always check which one is currently running better/faster and leave me with the slower one (!!!).
It is interesting though that Jane Austen wrote all her novels in the living room, with everyone getting on with their stuff: piano practice, chatting, kitting etc. Impressive!!
#pocolo
Joanna @mumbalance recently posted…Silent Sunday /#MySundayPhoto – Exploring spring indoors
That is very interesting about Jane Austen – I reckon I could write with adults around but not children constantly demanding attention. x
My laptop is my sacred place!! Grace is only allowed to use it in special circumstances – such as learning 😉 ! Thank you for linking to #PoCoLo x
Verily Victoria Vocalises recently posted…Project 365 – 22nd to 28th March 2015
Thanks Victoria – yes that “learning” loophole gets used a lot. Agh! x
My laptop is The Grail – it’s MINE. Oh how I empathised with this post. Little A accidentally trod on it the other day – TROD.ON.IT. I wasn’t happy (and that’s an understatement). I am lucky – I have an IKEA bureau for my writing – it’s my sacred space! X
older mum in a muddle recently posted…All Woman
Trod on it! Good grief! I am always browsing bureaus. I like the idea of snapping the lid shut to put the work out of sight – of me as much as any little sticky paws. xxx
Yes! I’m always hiding my laptop from little hands too! You know to blog and erm search Topshop x
HonestMum recently posted…Our Weekend in Pictures-Including Hanging Out With Mr Bloom
Oh yes, lots of important ASOS browsing going down on my laptop 😉 xxx
I have a teeny tiny office in my bedroom. It is the smallest space but IT IS ALL MINE! And woe betide any husband/child/dog that goes near it! x
brummymummyof2 recently posted…Sea the Stars at the SEA LIFE Centre
That sounds brilliant – so important to have your own space, darling! xxx
Haha fab post! Nothing is your own anymore when you have kids is it. My boyfriend bought me an ipad for Christmas last year and he gets quite upset that I don’t get to use it much as my son has it most of the time. It’s just another part of parenthood they didn’t tell us about! Good luck – get a good hiding place for it Jess. x
teacuptoria recently posted…How To Be A Tough Cookie
This! I so wish the kids would keep them sticky, jam covered fingers off my laptop!
Liane recently posted…Finding My Confidence As A Parent
Absolutely! I hate a jammy / clammy key, and crumbs in my USB sockets!