| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Did your productivity decrease after you had children? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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R. Alex Jenkins 
Brazil
Local time: 19:47
Member (2006)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| Not DOWN, but UP! | Sep 30, 2010 |
It's hard work, but I'm glad to be a Dad.
Life's tough, but I'd rather be a father.
What's shocking is that 55% responded "no kids".
[Edited at 2010-09-30 12:32 GMT]
| | | | Lizette Britz
Spain
Local time: 00:47
Member (2008)
English to Spanish
| Depends if they are on vacation | Sep 30, 2010 |
When my daughters are off school, for example during Summer vacation, my productivity goes down. It is hard to concentrate when 2 girls are fighting over the TV, the computer and who gets to spend more time with Mommy. But I do not mind. I work as a translator to be able to be with them, so I have learned to work around their schedules.
BTW a forum for our children would be nice
Liz
| | | | Carla Catolino
Italy
Local time: 00:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
+ ...
| Children forum | Sep 30, 2010 |
Gianluca Marras wrote: PS a forum for our children would be nice: "what do you think of your father/mother being a translator and working at home?" - take care and have a nice day [Edited at 2010-09-30 08:32 GMT]
Gianluca,
I already have an answer to "what do you think of your mother being a translator and working at home". First thing, I am a native speaker of English and my kids love the fact that because I am a translator I have taught them both my active and passive languages....so they like to "be cool" and talk to me in another lanugage when their friends come over!
Here where I live the kids have the "old" Italian style of school and go to school until 1pm. So, in the afternoon my daughter is in my office with me...she does her homework and I work away on my translations. So, in a way we are together and she really likes that she can stay home with me when most of her friends' parents are working away from the home.
However, there are times where I have to work on saturdays and so I sometimes here my daughter on the phone with her friends saying..."I can't because my mom is working on one of her stupid translations".
All in all, my daughters have mixed feelings.
Back to the question....
I don't know if my productivity has increased since I have become a mother but I do know that I have to work at different hours. I work reallly really early in the morning and get a lot done in the wee hours of the morning when the house is still quiet. I then work when they are at school....the house is quite = productivity and then I sometimes work after they have gone to bed at 9pm and so a few hours of quite = productivity. It is quite difficult to get things done in the afternoon especially before dinner when my two daughters are constantly calling me to intervene (they are always fighting).
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 00:47
Member (2006)
German to English
My productivity has gone up, but nothing to do with my children.
I just have to have 48 hour days, thats all
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Karin Berling
United States
Local time: 18:47
Member (2010)
Norwegian (Bokmal) to English
+ ...
| I translate BECAUSE of my children | Sep 30, 2010 |
I decided to switch careers after having children in order to have more flexibility (and also to teach them my native language, which is almost a full-time job in itself when living abroad).
I translated a bit on the side prior to kids while I worked in the scientific/academic field, but after switching, I am thinking more and more about making this my permanent career. I love spending time with the kids and do the things I remember with fondness from my own childhood. So, even th... See more I decided to switch careers after having children in order to have more flexibility (and also to teach them my native language, which is almost a full-time job in itself when living abroad).
I translated a bit on the side prior to kids while I worked in the scientific/academic field, but after switching, I am thinking more and more about making this my permanent career. I love spending time with the kids and do the things I remember with fondness from my own childhood. So, even though I often work late into the night and some weekends, the end result is worth it. I think I am as productive as my pre-kids self, but in a whole different way. ▲ Collapse
| | | | maryblack
United States
Local time: 17:47
Member (2013)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Went freelance BECAUSE I had a kid! | Sep 30, 2010 |
I didn't go freelance until I had my daughter, now 11 years old, and realized that in a regular "office" job in Spain, with hours from 9 am to 7 pm, plus an hour commute on either end, I'd never see her. So basically, I turned what had been a sideshow, the translating, into a full-time career and have never looked back.
Translating from my home has given me a chance to truly raise my daughter, and even though there are times it's a drag that mommy has to work at night or on the week... See more I didn't go freelance until I had my daughter, now 11 years old, and realized that in a regular "office" job in Spain, with hours from 9 am to 7 pm, plus an hour commute on either end, I'd never see her. So basically, I turned what had been a sideshow, the translating, into a full-time career and have never looked back.
Translating from my home has given me a chance to truly raise my daughter, and even though there are times it's a drag that mommy has to work at night or on the weekends, I think both my daughter and I would agree that the freedom has added enormous quality to our lives. ▲ Collapse
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I hardly think it's SHOCKING that so many people have no kids, but it is interesting. How come none of them are in the discussion? lol
I have no idea how anyone manages with kids, but I am sure it teaches you how to manage your time differently...I have no kids, but there are things that affect productivity, just not on a daily basis. Except for last year when my father was ill...i had to drastically cut down on assignments for a couple of months.
| | | | Junko F
Japan
Local time: 07:47
Member (2009)
English to Japanese
+ ...
| Other - I started translation as I got my first child! | Sep 30, 2010 |
Like some others above, that's how I became a freelance translator.
But actually, my productivity (output per day/week) decreased dramatically as my second daughter was born. Dealing with a newborn AND a three year old didn't leave me much extra time and energy for other things.
Now that the younger one turned 8, my productivity is probably the highest in the past 10 years, and I have realized that I have less work than I could actually handle - and that's where ProZ.co... See more Like some others above, that's how I became a freelance translator.
But actually, my productivity (output per day/week) decreased dramatically as my second daughter was born. Dealing with a newborn AND a three year old didn't leave me much extra time and energy for other things.
Now that the younger one turned 8, my productivity is probably the highest in the past 10 years, and I have realized that I have less work than I could actually handle - and that's where ProZ.com could help me, I hope!
[Edited at 2010-09-30 22:29 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Michael Harris wrote:
My productivity has gone up, but nothing to do with my children.
I just have to have 48 hour days, thats all
I completely second that.
| | | | Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 18:47
Portuguese to English
+ ...
My child as 5 years old when I started translating professionally, so, I have no "pre-child" translation experience with which to compare.
Of course, having a child motivates me to work harder, if anything, I believe.
| | | | JaneD
Sweden
Local time: 00:47
Member (2009)
Swedish to English
+ ...
| Interesting, though | Oct 1, 2010 |
Richard Jenkins wrote:
What's shocking is that 55% responded "no kids".
[Edited at 2010-09-30 12:32 GMT]
I don't think it's shocking, exactly; I'm one of the "no kids" brigade. But I do think it's interesting that so many translators have no children. I'm sure it's a much higher number than is normal for a given population, and I wonder what it says about translators as a group?
Do you become a translator because you're the sort of person who doesn't want children?
Does facility with languages mean that you are that sort of person?
Are we so unattractive as a group that we never get a partner to have them with?!
Any suggestions?
My only explanation so far is that apparently more highly educated women are less likely to have children: http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/06/28/number-of-women-without-children-reaches-all-time-high/
(But are more highly educated men - ie male translators - less likely to want them too?)
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