Sunday, January 25, 2009

Juggling act at home

How do we mom's do it? The few times I have been at home with my kids (when I was on maternity leave and had my back surgery) my days were full and I pondered on how I manage working full time. The majority of my time as a mom has been spent as a work-outside-the home mom and it is always challenging. With one child it was challenging. With three it is a constant juggling routine.

I think that as moms we realize there are some things that HAVE to get done. We need to pay the bills. We need to feed our kids. There needs to be clean dishes to eat on and food to eat. If we let the laundry pile up too high we quickly regret it. There are also school plays, athletic competitions, school functions, doctor visits, new shoes to be bought, "counseling sessions", homework, etc. I think the ONLY way we manage to get everything done is to juggle. We can do our best to plan but cannot always plan for unexpected roadblocks like a sick child, an unplanned expense, etc. So although I never did master the skill of juggling, metaphorically I HAVE.

I am lucky in that my husband is the more active parent. He is the one that does most of the Dr. appointments, homework, trips to gymnastics, etc. I keep up the house, the laundry, the dishes, the bills and the cleaning.

What do I do to make my life more balanced?
- I have started doing my grocery shopping online - this saves time AND the aggrevation of shopping with 3 kids.

- I clean the kids rooms everyday if possible (every other day at the most) - A few minutes a day saves hours later.

- I do one load of laundry a day - Nothing worse than 6 - 7 loads of laundry at a time!

- I cook meals on the weekends that can stretch throughout the week - great for the nights I do not feel like cooking.

- I pay the bills twice a month

- I use my crockpot 2 - 3x a week - easy peasy

- I indulge in small things - I love scented lotions and candles. Aromatherapy does WONDERS.

- I try to share some of the things I like to do with the kids - baking, drawing, beading, etc. We all enjoy it!

balancedliving is a great resource for information on making YOUR life more balanced. If you re seeking more balance in your life, stop by for a few tips and tricks. Also, while you are there, register to win a $5,000 to make your life healthier and more balanced!

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by BOCA.

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