Through my 21 years of mothering and working and all that comes with it, I’ve tried to master “The Balancing Act”. Professional career, mother of four, active in the community, while also a loving wife and lavish attention on my kids. It’s impossible. You can’t do it. I’m never in balance. Balance implies an even amount on each side of the scale. My scale is constantly off kilter. The best I can hope for is time to go to the bathroom in peace.
The reason why balance is a myth is because, as a parent, you are always giving of yourself. There is always something you need to sacrifice. When you are working, you are being mentally challenged but you sacrifice time with your kids. You leave work early to pick them up and transport them to their activities and then you risk sacrificing promotions and advancements because you aren’t in the office.
So what to do? Throw up your hands and give up? Of course not! But you knew I was going to say that, right? Start with your priorities. Understand that your priorities will shift from week to week, even day to day. But as long as you know what is important, you can better handle what area you need to sacrifice at that time.
I like to make lists. I’m a big time list maker. I make lists for everything. At the start of the week, I ‘ll make a list of important events that I can’t miss and then prioritize them in order of importance.
And mostly, cut yourself some slack. Sometimes you can’t be that super mom. Do your best and leave the rest up to God.
Managing Motherhood 