I've been reading Valerie Bryson's paper on time use studies again. It's set me thinking about the fact that as a parent I am always on call, never off duty. It's more a matter of the degree of responsibility. As Valerie points out, even sleeping involves childcare, as a child is liable to wake up and need something at any point, and I have to be in a fit state to deal with it.
Here's my sliding scale of responsibility. 0 is completely carefree and 9 is total attention to children.
when I am asleep 1
when they are asleep and I am in the house 2
when they are asleep and I am out, but nearby 3
when I am away overnight and partner is in charge 2
once, when I was in Kyrgyzstan with no phone, email or other contact with home 0
during school hours 3 (need mobile phone on and need to ensure I or someone else can collect sickly children/ do the school run).
first thing in the morning 7
any time when children are experiencing extreme emotions (ill, upset, in the school play, excited)- 9
This is probably boring for you, so I'll stop there. but fascinating for me. I might see if partner will do it, so we can compare approaches. hmmm. might cause a row, so will have to be careful how to approach this.
I think APT should talk about planning a NAN application – the deadline is drawing near, and it would be great for a few of us to get together – use the money for travel, venue and childcare (or bring kids along and work around them), and have a gathering.
Perhaps in the middle of the country somewhere central for everyone – maybe in a bunk barn or other cheap self catering accomodation for an overnighter? – I always think conversations change tone and relax in the evening (possibly something to do with opening wine, but not necessarily)
Maybe there's a sympathetic gallery, exhibition, or other organisation we could visit – all suggestions welcome, but we'll need to get our skates on and divide some of the jobs up I think.
My lovely anthropologist friend,Anna, sent me this link to an article about the Co-operative Correspondence Club, a corespondence magazine established in 1935, by isolated housewives.
'each contributor would write pieces on any subject, mail them to the young woman who would stitch them together inside a cover and post to the first name on a prearranged list; that person would read and/or write any comments in the margins and send on to the next name and so on until the magazine had been fully circulated. '
What a lovely idea in this day of internet networking.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article1453340.ece
Susan Jones (a-n Director) has been in touch to offer support for APT = Artists Parents Talking!;
'I think we could help the APT artists as parents talking group create up a forum. Our IT developer is up on Monday and I can ask her to advise. It would be great to see AT acting as a catalyst in this way.'
Brilliant – I'm very excited about getting this moving now. It keeps popping into my mind when I'm trying to concentrate on other stuff today – Creative Partnerships work, writing my biog and a case study for a proposal for an audience and market research project, prep for talking to a shop owner about an installation idea. Wish I could stop the clock.
just found this info about another project inspired by womanhouse. Shame I've just missed it, but I'll contact them as I'm going to New York soon.
http://suzyspence.com/themoodbackhome/
While I think of it, I would also be interested to hear from any parents/artists in the Huddersfield/ Holmfirth area – particularly any that have lots of fun and the odd drink as I still haven't got enough of this in my West Yorkshire life.
