I’ll have a new baby in the house any day now. I’m not officially due until January 16, but my c-section is booked for January 11. It’s now the countdown.

With a toddler already in the house, I know some people who have questioned how I’ll find the time to write. Yes, I’ll be taking a couple of months maternity leave, but how will I still make money writing afterwards? Won’t my time be spent looking after two children and working another job?

The truth is that it isn’t going to be easy. It’s certainly not going to be as easy as it was with my first.

When it was my first child, I could sit her in her bouncy chair and get 30 minutes of writing done here and there. As she got older, she enjoyed exploring her playmat and the toys around it. We also had (and still have) a playpen that had plenty of toys. We were also blessed with a little girl who loved (and still does) to sleep! Working around her was relatively easy.

This time it’s definitely not going to be the case. I don’t expect this baby to be as easy as my first, and I’ll have a toddler running around wanting my attention.

So, how am I going to find the time to write with a new baby in the house? Here are my top ideas—and I’ll share whether I stick to them or not in the future.

Use Time Productively

I’m already one for using my time productively. If I have a spare five minutes, I’ll get things done.

To be honest, I can’t sit through hours of TV on a daily basis. I have to do something else at the same time. Doctor Who has been on the TV a lot recently, but I’ve had to watch while getting laundry done or doing some cleaning.

Sitting in front of the TV and actually watching it—unless it’s a movie/show that I know I need to concentrate on—is a waste of time for me. There’s only really documentaries that I’ll actually sit down and watch with my full attention.

So, using my time productively while there’s a new baby shouldn’t be that difficult. Where I get the spare five minutes, I’ll use them.

Use the Time Daughter One Is at Nursery

I do have three days a week where my daughter is at nursery. This means that it’s one-on-one time with the new baby.

Once maternity leave ends, I’ll be able to use these days for working in a similar way to having my first child. I’ll use the bouncy chair like I did in the past and have the playpen out as the new baby gets older.

That doesn’t mean neglect. Before anyone jumps on me for working while having a child in the house, I do balance my time. I have to! I’m a work at home mom and have to work and care for a child at the same time.

Nap time will be another good time to get some work done. They say to sleep when baby sleeps but that’s not always possible. In fact, it was never really possible with my first. There’s just a lot of other stuff that needs to be done and real life doesn’t stop because you have a baby!

Don’t Worry About the Housework

Of course, the housework needs to be done, but I won’t stress about getting it done.

I do have quite a good routine at the moment with work and life. I can get housework done while I’m writing, and doing the dishes is a good break for me.

But with a new baby, getting the housework done isn’t going to be easy. Finding time to write with the new baby, get the housework done and care for the family isn’t going to be a walk in the park. Something has to give.

The housework can wait. When the baby and toddler are in bed, I’ll be able to get through the cleaning. My husband will be home from work by then, so we can do it together. I’ll also still have days off work, so can get through things then like I do now!

Focus More on Residual Income

One of my writing goals for 2016 will be to get more residual income on a regular basis. By the end of 2015, I was finding it was possible but I wasn’t putting enough effort into it. Since I have two jobs and will likely be up at all hours of the night, I’ll use the time to focus more on my residual earnings.

I already have one site that I want to focus on more this year. It was proving highly profitable for me towards the end of the year (when income usually drops), so I believe it will again when I get back to writing.

Residual income will be good. It means I’m not writing as much and can spend much more time with my family without worrying about finances.

Have you had to find time to write with a new baby in the house? Please feel free to share your tips. These are my ideas for now, based on how I coped the first time. I’ll update later to say whether I managed it or not.