@Linguist_CIOL
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER The Linguist 29
SECTION HEADER OPINION & COMMENT
Why do freelancers feel the need to pretend they are child-free,
and has the pandemic changed all that? A new parenting column
DEBBIE GARRICK
I've always found it odd that as freelancers
and parents we don't mention our children
more often, or the fact that we work around
them. There are hordes of us who chose to
become freelance translators because it works
well with having a family, and yet we are
invisible – or at least our kids are. The juggle
is never mentioned and we pretend they
don't exist for fear of looking unprofessional.
The reality is, as long as you meet your
deadlines, it doesn't matter what time of the
day you work, so it's the perfect option for
parents. You can work until midnight after a
busy day with the kids or start at 5am as you
breastfeed the baby, hoping they'll go back
to sleep. It's our choice, so why do we
pretend to work standard office hours like
everyone else?
If there's one thing we can thank 'lockdown'
for it's that parents who work from home
have been thrown into the spotlight. We've
all seen at least one news item where a cute
kid interrupts their parent's flow. They always
seem to need your attention as soon as you
pick up the phone or join a video conference.
When I first started out as a freelancer, I
would almost pretend my kids didn't exist. I
would never tell a project manager or client
that I couldn't take a certain job because of
the school run. But even before Covid I
started being more open with my clients. We
are all human and being a mum doesn't
make me any less capable of doing my job.
On the contrary, I'd say it makes me
incredibly skilled in time management. I don't
have time to procrastinate; with three
children of different ages to sort out I have to
make the most of every second.
Luckily, I now feel strong enough to be
honest about what I can and can't achieve
in the time available, and if I'm taking the
day off for my daughter's birthday, I tell
people. I've yet to have a bad reaction and
I don't feel I've been blacklisted or missed
opportunities because of it. In fact, I've
created stronger bonds by opening up to
people. Guess what – some of my clients
have children too!
Amid this pandemic, most of the country
has had a chance to work from home,
often while trying to 'homeschool' their
kids. It has been great for businesses to
see how effectively it can work. Some
people who had never worked from home
now understand that it can be done well,
even if there are challenges. I'm sure that
those of us who have been doing it for a
while have plenty of tips to share, and a
host of hilarious stories of when it all went
wrong. Let's just say, I have been much more
efficient since September, when they finally
went back to school.
Debbie Garrick MCIL is a French/
Spanish > English translator and
copywriter; garricktranslations.com
TL
En famille
©
SHUTTERSTOCK
