I Asked AI to Give Me a Writing Routine as a STAHM

One of my very favorite author tubers is Kate Cavanaugh because she always tries the most interesting writing challenges. And the one that I watched recently was where she asked AI to give her a “crazy” writing routine. Which it definitely delivered. It told her to get up at three or something and eat a handful of chocolate chips for breakfast hahaha.

So I was certainly curious about this. Obviously, I wasn’t going to try to ask it for “something crazy” like Kate did. I am a stay at home mom with three kids. Ages 6, 4 and 1. So when it comes to writing routines… I have to have a regular babysitter or else there just is no routine at all. And that was something that Kate doesn’t have to work around, so I thought I would ask the all-knowing AI and see what kind of advice it would give to a stay at home writer person such as myself.

Basically what Chat GPT came back with was a writing routine where you do thirty minute sessions throughout the day in between caring for your kids. One before they wake up, a mid morning session while they “play quietly”, an afternoon session while they nap or have “quiet time” and an evening session after your kids go to bed.

Seems feasible, but at the same time they’re little kids. Nothing is feasible hahaha.

At the end of the writing routine, the AI told me to be flexible and it’s okay to adjust as necessary. I responded back a thank you and also asked it to please remember me if it ever takes over the world. To which it said this:

Concerning. That little wink. Is that a threat? I can’t tell.

So the next day I set an alarm for an hour earlier than my kids usually get up and got to work. And of course, my four-year-old woke up an hour earlier than he usually wakes up. (How did he know?) I wrote anyway and was okay productive. I did have to stop once or twice because my son asked me to open his yellow popsicle at 6:30 in the morning.

Gosh I hope he naps today.

Mid Morning session turned out to be later than I thought but worked fine. I settled my four year old with Blippi on my phone and gave the baby her favorite puffs in her high chair. I had only gotten a couple of minutes in when my son wanted to play “ghost” with me, so I had to get him a sticker book to entertain him. Then I found myself immediately texting my husband about work and dang. The morning session sure was easier. Sad for me because I don’t like getting up early. But also had I followed Chat GPT’s advice and done a mid-morning session while my baby was asleep instead of almost falling asleep myself I would have been more productive altogether. Oh well. Plan for exhaustion if you’re a parent. Just pencil it into your schedule.

Afternoon session I opted to try to squeeze in while waiting to pick up my son from school. I usually get in the pick up line super early so I thought it would be a nice natural break to try it out. I also slowly drove around the neighborhood so the four year old who woke up ridiculously early would pass out. He did. But then the baby was complaining of course. I brought extra toys. All of which were really loud, so that was dumb of me. I wrote as best as I could in the awkward, hot car. It was okay. So far I had a total of 1400 words by the time I had done the three half hour sessions, so honestly that wasn’t too bad!

During the evening session I put up this blog post. So you’re welcome haha.

Kids Say the Darndest Things (catch up)

ME: Ooh, Jack is a rebel.
CASEY: Yeah, Jack is Rubble and I’m Chase!


Every time Dan would come home, he would throw the kids high in the air. He tried to teach them to say Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase before he threw them: “To Infinity and Beyond!”. But for some reason both of them would cry, “Two Fifty and Beyond!”. So then Dan tried to switch to Woody: “There’s a snake in my boot!” But all he got was “There’s a sneaky in my boot.” and “There’s a stinky in my butt.”


CASEY: I don’t want a quesadilla I want a Jacky-dea.


JACK: *leaving to go to school* Bye! Have fun playing with the kids!


Caught my dang three-year-old trying to stick a screwdriver in an outlet. I yelled at him to stop, explained how dangerous that is, that he could even DIE. He literally scoffed, rolled his eyes and said:

CASEY: It’s fine, Mom. Then I’d just be a zombie.


JACK: I don’t like white popsicles because they taste like ants. Isn’t that icky?
ME: How do you know what ants taste like?
JACK: I don’t know but it gives me a headache to think about.


CASEY: *playing with Dan* Boom you’re trapped! I’m a police officer!
DAN: Did you read me my rights?
CASEY: Yeah I’ll do that. *pretends to hold a book* Once upon a time Daddy was trapped and went to jail.


JACK: *points to his Spaghettios* I call these “blowy basgettios”. You know why?
ME: Why?
JACK: Because you blow em like this *blows* like how you have to blow a mosquito.
ME: Like… blowing a mosquito away?
JACK: Not mosquito, I meant to say noodle.
ME: *laughs* what?


DAN: *to me* Hit the AC will ya?
CASEY: No, Dad! It’s B and then C. A B C.


JACK: Does grandma live on Earth?
ME: … yeah. Utah is on Earth.
JACK: Ohhhhhhhhh!


CASEY: (holding up a toy) Should I break this?
ME: No, you shouldn’t
CASEY: Well what can I break?
ME: You can break my heart when you grow up too fast.
CASEY: (imitates a breaking sound) Pssh! Your heart is broken!
ME: Yeah it is 😭

Kids Say the Darndest Things (September)

Casey started playing this game where you had to run away from a pretend monster before he gets you. And one time when Dan was playing he named the monster “Mr. Play Dough Head” (for whatever reason). But it stuck and that became the game, running away from Mr. Play Dough Head. Then one night I left Casey alone in the kitchen to wash my hands and he started screaming bloody murder. When I came back he was crying and shaking. I frantically asked what was wrong and he said, “Mr. Play Dough Head is going to eat me!” So at some point Casey decided this was no longer a game, this was now a real threat in our house. And that’s how my poor two year old developed a Mr. Play Dough Head phobia.


ME: It’s fall! Do you know what that means? Do you know what’s going to happen soon?

JACK: Yeah, that’s when you drive over the spikes and the wheels pop and we crash.

ME: wtf … I was gonna say Halloween.


CASEY: I’m a dog. Woof woof. I like to taste you. *licks my arm*


Jack was walking around slowly with his head tilted backward.

DAN: What are you doing, buddy? Are you pretending to be a zombie?

JACK: No. I’m just lookin’ at the air.


CASEY: Can you take this band-aid off my banana? *points to the sticker*


DAN: There’s a dragonfly on that branch. Can you see?

JACK: Yeah, I can see everything. I have two eyes.


Everyone else at Chase Field: *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap* LET’S GO D-BACKS!

My two year old: *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap* LET’S GO PEE PANTS!


JACK: Hey Mom, do you know all the coconuts?

ME: … what?

JACK: Like this *singing* Tell me the coconuts. Tell me the coconuts. Tell me the coconuts now… South America, North America, Central America too…

ME: … do you mean “continents”?

JACK: No, it’s just at school.


We put Casey forward facing in the van and now he backseat drives like no bodies business.

CASEY: GREEN MEANS GO, MOM. DRIVE. … see? I helped you.


I was playing with Jack when suddenly he gently brushed my hair behind my ear.

JACK: I really love you like that.