August 21, 2017

There is no such thing as work life balance

Hi moms, it’s me, Jacqueline – and don’t hate me, but I’m going to just come right out and say it. You know all that talk about having a work/life balance? It’s a myth – yup, that’s right, there is no such thing as the work/life balance. There, I said it! It’s not a bad thing though, hear me out.

As a mother of three boys and what has been coined as a “momtrepreneur,” I have yet to find the balance, that perfect equilibrium between work life and home life. In fact, I don’t even believe it exists, but I’m okay with that.

Let’s take the summer schedule, for example. Officially, my two older boys have been leaving for day camp on the bus at 9:00.

Well, that was the plan.

But when does life ever go according to plan? Some days, the bus came earlier than expected, and they missed the bus. On other days the boys slept late, and my mom guilt set in. On one side, I had so many things to do and needed to get my children off to camp so I could start my day. But on the other side, come on it’s their summer vacation! Let them relax and charge their batteries.

Guess who won?

Long story short, I basically ended up driving my boys late to camp. Every. Day. Because of that, my day started at least an hour later than expected, which meant that, of course, all of the usual appointments were late, too: well visits, eye doctor, and the dentist to just name a few. As camp time neared the end, I raced to pick everyone up early and run to their appointments.

Then on the flip side, the momtrepreneur side, what do I do when I get a pressing email, and they need an answer ASAP?  I stop what I’m doing, pull out my iPad (thank God for Apple), and make a calculated and informed decision (but hasty because OMG did my two-year-old just take ice from the freezer by himself?!).

Ok, done, back to family time.

Wait you’re here from out of town and NEED a reversible fur bonnet, and you’re leaving for vacation in 10 minutes? How can I say no! Of course we can prep an order in the next 3 minutes for a local pickup. But I better hurry because are my boys painting their faces?! With regular paint!!! Don’t worry mom it will dry! OMG help me.

But no matter what, I work hard to keep all technology away from the supper table. In the past year, once I start serving supper, my phone is away. Emergency? It will have to wait a half hour.

Night time has definitely become an extension of my day time routine. I get my boys into bed by 7:30 (um…yeah right, but how cool would that be?), and I get back to work, easily working until 2 or 3 in the morning.

More times than not I get a late night visitor who woke up or just can’t fall asleep or just needed a momma snuggle. But that’s for another time.

For now, I’ll sign off saying there is no balance. There’s just putting your all into everything. I hope my children will see how I commit to everything I do, putting my heart and hard work not only into my family but also into my business.

What does your work/life “balance” look like? Is it as messy, chaotic, beautiful, and passionate as mine?

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