BellaOnline Forums Family Work & Family What's The Secret To Balance?

Just wondering how the women in this forum balance home and work. Do you have any tips for those who are feeling stressed? I find spending quiet time with my husband works wonders. Of course being a lover of teddy bears, spending time with my teddy bears also works miracles.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Bear hugs,
Patricia Twitchell

I like to sit on my deck and read; light candles, mediate, exercise, enjoy a favorite movie, sex... whatever works for the moment <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I also read or watch a favorite movie. Reading is my best relaxer. There are times when I am at a high stress level, drinking a cup of tea and reviewing my day mentally, and *rationally* (LOL) helps to calm and balance me.

I do not try to do everything as a single mom. I have my kids responsible for certain chores. I love to take digital photography and recently bought a new camera, as that is my passion and relaxation.

I also set strict boundaries with friends, family and at work, regarding new projects and overtime. Since my kids and I are all ADHD I am careful not to overwhelm them with extracurricular activities. We do not run 7 ways until Sunday doing soccer, dance, music.

We have a set routine during the week for school nights and try to follow it as much as possible. I am a little more lax when they are here on the weekends but we still follow a loose routine.

Consistency seems to be the key at my house.

Routine and consistency.

William Morris once said:

"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Working on this excellent premise, I have killed my husband and buried him in the vegetable patch, sold my children into slavery, hired a skip for all superfluous objects in my house (dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, Iron & Ironing board, lawnmower) and hired a six-foot six, blond, blue-eyed Swede named Jorgen to do all the little jobs for me around the house, inside and out, whilst I read my books and sip my mint julep.

Simple.










(A gal can dream, can't she?)

ROTFLMAO!!!! I am dreaming right there with you!!!

Alexandra, sounds like a dream plan (LOL)

Love your bears Teddy Bear Lady :-)

Short of the dream life.

Balance.......

Organize and keep your priorities.

Sunday is family day. My husband would love to continue to get things done but it's not a day to work and ignore the children, we do that Monday through Saturday.

In order to get the kids to help out throughout the week I have devised a chore chart with stickers. Now if they get so 5 stickers they get $1.00 treat, if they get 10 stickers they get something for approx $2-3. If they get 15 stickers its $5.00. If they get 20 Stickers it's a $10.00 something and if they get more than 25 stickers they get $20.00. I don't hand out a lot of $10-$20. My kids are little 4& 7 so the amount of stickers they can get in a week isn't much so you may have to tweek your numbers a bit to ensure you only hand out $10 - $20 if and when they go above and beyond your expectations of helping out around the house.

As an added incentive I've put a little competition into it. Whoever has the most stickers by Saturday night gets to pick the family day activity on Sunday. There is an approved list of activities to choose from, x-box is not one of them.

They have chores, dishwasher, sweeping, picking up, laundry, etc. My oldest gets stickers for reading for every 20 minutes he reads, my youngest gets a sticker for wearing her eye patch. They get stickers for clean rooms and good behavior.

It's a little work on my part, but I end up with less housework so it balances out.