Batch processing and interrupt coalescing basically come down to scheduling the things you have to do in a regular basis in a manner so as to minimize the instances of context-switching, so as to maximize the amount of time spent on one task uninterruptedly.
Is it possible to do this if you have kids (especially little ones)?
Speaking as someone who has a purely theoretical understanding of parental productivity. I would say that it’s possible to use ideas like batching when you have children, but the efficiency is going to be lower than if you didn’t have kids. But because your time is much scarcer, minimal gains can still be very valuable.
Most of the successful examples I’ve run across have been people using batching and productivity systems to make the time they spend away from their children more productive.
An interesting exception I remember is a family that taught their children that if they needed to signal for attention while their parents where talking. They should hold their parents elbows, and the parent would acknowledge they understood by placing their hands over their child’s hand. That way the parent could break the conversation at a more natural point and swich contexts more smoothly.
Is it possible to do this if you have kids (especially little ones)?
Speaking as someone who has a purely theoretical understanding of parental productivity. I would say that it’s possible to use ideas like batching when you have children, but the efficiency is going to be lower than if you didn’t have kids. But because your time is much scarcer, minimal gains can still be very valuable.
Most of the successful examples I’ve run across have been people using batching and productivity systems to make the time they spend away from their children more productive.
An interesting exception I remember is a family that taught their children that if they needed to signal for attention while their parents where talking. They should hold their parents elbows, and the parent would acknowledge they understood by placing their hands over their child’s hand. That way the parent could break the conversation at a more natural point and swich contexts more smoothly.