Shift the Focus
Forgive Yourself
Tamecca Tillard is the founder of Learning Curve and mother of 5, ages 4 to 22. Tamecca lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and wishes the laundry would fold itself.
What’s your parenting motto?
Forgive yourself. Parenting is a journey, sometimes a complicated journey. I’ve made my share of my mistakes, but overall, I try to be thoughtful, deliberate and purposeful, and instill this in my children.
What’s your biggest time-suck?
Laundry. More specifically, folding. There is just no short-cut!
What do you always make time for?
My indulgence is giving myself the occasional “date” with me, where I try out a new restaurant, check out an exhibit, movie or sit still in the sun.
RELATED: Nutrition Tips for Busy Moms
Stay in Touch
Sara Hatler is a musician and mother of a 22-month-old boy. She lives in Alexandria, Va., and has never met a coupon she didn’t like.
What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?
Keeping shoes and socks by the door for Elijah, since that's the last step before we walk out of the house.
What do you always make time for?
I make time to keep in touch with my friends around the country. After moving around quite a bit in the last 10 years, keeping in touch with old friends is very important to me.
What’s your biggest time-suck?
I started couponing several months ago, and it is very addictive. I find myself spending way too much time reading blogs and clipping coupons. (Can't believe I just admitted that!)
Keep Bags Packed
Jennifer Hochschild is a Mill Valley, Calif., mother of three; an 8-month-old, 4-year-old, and a 6-year-old. She knows that the early bird has a better chance of maintaining her sanity.
What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?
Set my alarm to get up before the kids, and start getting everything ready to go before they wake up. And have some bags that are permanently packed. For example, the swim bag always has a fresh towel, soap, comb, etc., and is waiting in the closet.
What’s your favorite dinner shortcut?
Double my recipes when I have extra time to cook, and freeze half of them—then pull them out a couple weeks later and reheat.
It's All About Balance
April McCaffery is a single working mother of two and a blogger in Burbank, Calif. She’s always working on balance.
What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?
Do as much as possible the night before, and tell your kids you need to leave a half hour earlier than you actually do.
What’s your favorite dinner shortcut?
The slow cooker. It takes us about an hour and a half to drive home from the girls' schools—and even longer if my oldest has dance class, so when we finally do get home, none of us want to wait even 20 minutes for me to cook something.
What’s your parenting motto?
"It's All About Balance," which is why I named my blog that. Particularly as a single working parent, I would often get overwhelmed. Focusing on one thing at a time helps me get closer to the ever-elusive balance of ensuring that both girls get their needs met, that the responsibilities get done and that I also have time for me.
Be Compassionate
Charise M. Studesville, is a writer/director in Los Angeles. Her four kids are 7, 13, 16 and 21. She can work wonders with a roast chicken.
What’s your parenting motto?
Lead with love and compassion, and a memory of what it felt like to be whatever age or stage in life they are currently in.
What’s your favorite dinner shortcut?
Hands down, it’s the already roasted chickens from Whole Foods. I cut the meat off the bone and use it in soups, stews, stir fry, enchiladas, sandwiches, you name it.
What do you always make time for?
Talking with each of them. No matter where I am or what I am doing, I am available to talk.
RELATED: 12 Ways to Volunteer at School
Let It Go
Adriane Lentz-Smith is a history professor in Durham, N.C., and the mother of a 4-year-old and 19-month-old. She knows that it’s impossible to do everything.
What’s your parenting motto?
My husband and I share one: "There is no such thing as co-parenting. This is an equal partnership with shared joys and burdens." To make that work, though, I also enforce a second motto: "Let it go. We don't need to do everything; we just need to do enough."
What’s your biggest time-suck?
Bath time and bedtime rituals. As the kids get more insistent on doing things themselves (from washing up to reading bedtime stories), everything slows down to a molasses crawl. It's an exercise in patience not to take over for them.
What do you always make time for?
Reading. I often derail our morning routine by sitting in the bed reading books with the kids before breakfast. In the evenings, we always make time for family walks around the neighborhood.
