Scheduling and Time Management
Molly Gold, Founder of GO MOM !NC, is the creator of The GO MOM!® Planner, the ultimate catch-all day planner for everything that is family. Molly is recognized as an expert on scheduling issues unique to moms.

Missing Quality Family Time

Question: After 10 years of being a stay at home mom, I'm re-entering the workforce. I'm exhausted by the time I get home. I have little energy to prepare dinner, clean the house, or do much of anything. I also think my tiredness is causing me to miss quality time with my two kids (10 years & 8 years). How can I make more time for my family? How do other working moms cope?
- Debbie

Answer: There's no doubt about it, having 2 full time jobs, and one which requires you to be on call 24 hours 7 days a week, is an amazing challenge! Congratulations to you on your re-entry into the workforce and be rest assured, you are just like all the other Moms out there. Trying to find the stamina to balance your family and work responsibilities is quite possible the greatest quest of all. Try these steps to gain a little energy and reclaim your sense of control over your schedule.

STEP 1: Take care of yourself first. Hard as this sounds and I've said it before, much as we'd like to think we can, we simply cannot have it all....at least not all at one time. Bear in mind, you can craft a life that has pieces of everything you want and find great happiness. However there's nothing like a sick child to remind you that often, we must focus more energy on one responsibility while others take second place.

So the first key to your success in both demanding roles is to operate in full health. Get back to the basics by eating right, taking a multi-vitamin, getting moderate exercise on a regular basis and yes, a 30 minute brisk walk every day at lunch time counts, and getting enough rest to function productively. Not only will you feel better but your family will also benefit as you make healthy choices at the grocery store that translate into healthier children. Taking time to exercise shows the value you place in treating your body with respect, and this is a lifelong habit your family will be very grateful to have learned very early on.

STEP 2: Delegate. Every family needs a good wife, the saying goes, whether its the female or the male partner. Fact is, laundry, bills, housekeeping, carpool, trips to the dentist and the occasional visit to the vet all still need to occur. If you are returning to a two-career household, you are learning first hand how hard it is to educate both yourself and your family that times have changed and where before, you may have taken care of all those little details, you simply cannot do it alone now.

So, starting with your partner, revisit your traditional household responsibilities and see if there is an even distribution of tasks overall. If there is an unequal equation, see if you can work together towards new solutions. Maybe its time for a new primary grocery shopper. Better yet, consider ordering online and having them delivered. Maybe one of you can handle morning carpool by going in later, the other handles afternoon activities by coming home earlier. Even just jockeying work schedules by 2 hours either way can work wonders in providing coverage for your children throughout the day. Be willing to switch things around based on availability of both partners and see if there is some breathing room.

And by all means, look closely at your family budget and see if you can afford maid service. Truly, there is not one working mom out there who would rather clean a bathroom than relax with her family at the end of the day or on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. If you can't afford it now, look for ways to work it in as you earn pay raises in the coming year. This is one expense you won't regret making a priority...trust me!

Good luck and remember that you are only one woman with so very many demands. Imagine you were on the outside looking in on someone else's busy life. What would you say to this woman when she hits the wall of exhaustion and feels so drained she can't even enjoy the time she has with her family? You would say...don't forget what matters to you most...your family. It is an honor to be a mother so take the very best care of yourself that you can so you are up to the challenge and able to enjoy the rewards!

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