How to do Librivox as a new parent?

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Bassaga
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Joined: June 15th, 2014, 8:03 pm
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Post by Bassaga »

Hey, parents of Librivox! I require counsel.

A month or so ago, I was filled with a renewed resolution to make volunteering on this site a big part of my life. It is a very worthy cause, after all. I even wrote a reintroduction post to make my intentions official.
Then... well, then I had a baby :lol:

He's our first, he's newborn, he's noisy, and he's unpredictable and time-consuming. I love the heck out of him, and he's certainly a higher priority for me than Librivox is. It's just that I've kinda wanted to get back into this work for years, I finally got the gumption, and I don't want to miss out on that motivation and flake out for another five years like I did already.

Between the desire to sleep every spare moment, the new responsibilities, the random noises and squeaks that I'd have to watch out for and rerecord whenever he hiccups.... it just sounds hard, man. But if I wait until parenting becomes easy, I suspect I'll be waiting a long time!

People with kids read for Librivox, right? How is it done? What superpowers of focus, ambition, time management and offspring silencing can I develop to make recording work in this new complicated reality?
"In this world... you must be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart; I recommend pleasant."
Elwood P. Dowd, "Harvey"
lurcherlover
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Joined: November 10th, 2016, 3:54 am
Location: LONDON UK

Post by lurcherlover »

A couple of glasses of gin (double) works wonders!! (Only kidding ...) (For the baby too ...) Otherwise find someone willing to look after him/her for an hour and with a bottle (NOT gin but preferably milk).

P S I'm a very old parent and it's easy for the father as usually the mother is around and can be persuaded to have the baby for an hour or two ... Other than that if you have a dog you could train it to amuse the baby for a while?
Peter Why
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Joined: November 24th, 2005, 3:54 am
Location: Chigwell (North-East London, U.K.)

Post by Peter Why »

It's worth taking on proof-listening or editing or making CD covers until things settle enough for you to start recording. That will keep you involved and interested.

Peter
"I think, therefore I am, I think." Solomon Cohen, in Terry Pratchett's Dodger
chocoholic
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Post by chocoholic »

I recorded a solo over several months with a sleeping baby in my lap (if you listen closely you can hear baby noises in the background). Frankly I can't remember how I managed it; I assume I was running on adrenaline and sleep deprivation. My advice is to take on small commitments at a time: if you read for group projects, sign up for only one section at a time and don't take on more until that one is finished. Proof-listening will be easier than recording; just be sure you'll have time for it if it's the kind of project that will dump 10 sections a week in your lap. If it's been a long time since you've recorded, starting a solo right now might be more frustrating than it's worth until you're back in the swing of recording. (A solo doesn't have a time limit like a group project, but you'd need to post in your project thread every month to keep it active.) Remember that this won't be about productivity; it'll be about doing something fun (we hope), volunteering as you say, and carving out a little bit of your life for something not related to the baby.

Congratulations on your new little one! :D
Laurie Anne
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