Moms Talk Q&A: Balancing Busy Schedules

Tolland Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for caregivers and their families right here in the Tolland area.

Each week in Moms Talk, our will take your questions, give advice and share solutions. Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local schools, nutrition, work-life balance and the myriad of other issues that arise while raising children.

Yesterday, our mom columnist Nancy Dylewski addressed the , asking the question: Do you ever feel like you need a household staff just to help you manage your children's schedules?

Nancy, her husband and her brother coordinated pick-ups and drop-offs for three sons and a stepdaughter when she lived in Florida. The schedule got so unmanageable that her stepdaughter had to stop swimming lessons.

Now that we are living in Connecticut, we don't have family to rely on to transport our children to after-school activities.  The list includes doctors' appointments, sports, music and other activities.  So far, my husband and I have been able to accommodate everything between the two of us, but soon the day will come when employment obligations interfere.

The logistics of meals also posed challenges. Nancy ended her column, asking: If no parent is home before 5 p.m. or if all available adults are transporting children at the traditional dinner preparation times, what do you do for dinner?  Do you eat late?  Do you eat early?  Do you eat in shifts?

So many parents are juggling everything while working. I think a lot of people can relate to that. I'm not working, so I don't get hit as hard with all the juggling. However, I know a lot of parents who are both working, trying to fit it all in on such a tight schedule. If there is no family to rely on nearby, parents have to be creative on how the kids get to where they need to be on time!

One of my friends has developed quite an extensive social network of friends who help each other out all the time. I am impressed at how she manages to work full time and always has someone waiting for her children to get off the bus. There are no guarantees that you will get out on time while working. Something always seems to come up.

I know a lot of moms who cook meals on the weekend. They cook enough for the week so they can just pop something in the oven when they get home. That helps get a healthy meal on the table in little time!

It is something that is on my mind right now as our children are clamoring for new activities, and I don't want to stick my husband with all the responsibility when I have work commitments or be stuck with no transportation if we both have commitments.  I agree with Rachel that creativity is required.  Team parents were always very helpful for us, too. One mother sent me pictures of my son catching a football and other updates so I could sneak looks during a meeting.

As far as the juggling of children’s activities, I am still enjoying the lull before the storm.  My oldest takes swim lessons on Saturday mornings.  This is an enjoyable time for he and I to spend together. It has not become a race to get to the next activity or pick up my other son—yet.

I remember watching my teenaged nephews for one week last spring.  I was exhausted from all of the driving around and keeping the schedules straight.  I really don't know how all the Mom's and Dad's do this. 

I chuckled when I read Nancy's article and learned of the business that was started in Florida shuttling the kids to activities, because I remember telling my husband after that week with my nephews that I wanted to start a similar business as I know parents must be desperate for some help with all of the drop offs and pick ups!  I guess I was not the only one to have this thought!