Finding the Balance

Being a working mom and a mother of two young boys, I now struggle with finding, and keeping, a balance in my life.

Once upon a time, there was simplicity to my life. I only had myself to worry about and had the freedom of not being attached to any real responsibility. I would go to the gym, go to work, out to dinner and movies and so on.

Now I have a family that I love with all my heart, but any parents out there know just how exhausting it is to be a parent. It is a 24/7 job where you are never off-duty. So, the thing is, between work, and being a parent how do I still find time for me?

When I write that I feel that it sounds selfish, but I think that finding time for just myself is important for my own health. I do not feel that I can put forth everything I have if I am not feeling good physically or emotionally.

I find myself looking in the local papers and seeing great work out classes or groups that might be fun to try, and then my mind wanders to the millions of reasons as to everything else happening that would conflict.

Then I think about how it is just easier for everyone to stick to the current routine. Straying from the pattern might just be an inconvenience to everyone else. These reasons always seem to focus around my other responsibilities.

However, I do have a responsibility to take care of myself, too. I think that I will be letting people down if I make choices that are seem to be solely for my own good. There also have to be considerations made of my husband because this affects both parents. We both need personal time and we both need to think about how our taking that personal time will effect the household.

Schedules are important to my life. I find that I do best if I have everything turned into a routine. I know exactly when the kids have activities, when they are napping and then trying to fit in cleaning and working out.

This is what I am currently trying to work on. The kids have their schedule, but I am trying to fit in parts that would be beneficial to me in finding time for household chores, but also giving me some time for things that I want to enjoy.

The hard part is finding the time in a way that will not overwhelm me and also give me some time do something good for myself.

Whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom, I think that many women struggle with this. We put our kids and family first, maybe our jobs second, but there has to be a way to balance the list to include ourselves.