How do you balance being married, having kids, and having a demanding career? For example, I’ve seen y’all hire a nanny which I know can be a huge help. Is there anything else you do?
Listener Question
What is Balance & Can you Achieve It?
Definition of balance: even distribution of weight allowing someone to remain upright and steady.
When Yvette was thinking about the question and the definition, she decided that balance isn’t necessarily the goal. Her partnership with Glen and their ability to seek out support gives them proximity to balance, but she doesn’t believe balance itself is possible. She feels it is more of a juggling act where she must throw something up while she holds something else. She believes balance isn’t possible because she hasn’t seen it.
Anticipating a busy week, Yvette had let the kids know that she would be working more and around the house less, so the nannies would be there most of the time. Theo got a little worried thinking she was leaving, and she reassured him that she wasn’t going anywhere, but she’d just be working more. While she knows the kids understood, she wonders what she could put down or let go of to juggle a little easier, although she’s not sure she wants to let go of anything right now.
The Art of Juggling
When you’re trying to juggle multiple things, there’s a learning curve that is extremely necessary and you will inevitably drop the ball at times. Every time you add a new ball to the juggle (baby, job, opportunity, etc), it gets a little more complicated. When you have your first baby, everything is a big deal. You can’t imagine making them upset. By the fourth, you realize sometimes they will be disappointed, and that’s okay.
In the same way, sometimes you have to learn that disappointing people outside of your family is okay. This may be especially hard if you’re a people pleaser, so setting boundaries is going to be essential. Keep in mind that every “yes” to one thing is a “no” to something else. Make boundaries with family, friends, church, work, etc. Set boundaries around things you want to protect like weekly date nights or family nights.
Practical Solutions to “Balance”
Here are some things they do to help them balance/juggle:
- Hire nannies
- Hire a Housecleaner
- Utilize Meal Delivery Services or Doordash
- Utilize Instacart for Groceries
- Batch things like meal prepping or scheduling meetings during a drive
- Use the Jar Method for fruits & veggies to make food last longer
- Get items like Razors Delivered
- Budget well
- Invest in therapy to table conversation and put things into perspective
- Delegate when there’s too much on your plate
What’s most important and your biggest asset is your time, so spend it well!
Thank you for listening and reading the show notes for this week’s episode!
The HMAY Team
How do you balance being married, having kids, and having a demanding career? For example, I’ve seen y’all hire a nanny which I know can be a huge help. Is there anything else you do?
Listener Question
What is Balance & Can you Achieve It?
Definition of balance: even distribution of weight allowing someone to remain upright and steady.
When Yvette was thinking about the question and the definition, she decided that balance isn’t necessarily the goal. Her partnership with Glen and their ability to seek out support gives them proximity to balance, but she doesn’t believe balance itself is possible. She feels it is more of a juggling act where she must throw something up while she holds something else. She believes balance isn’t possible because she hasn’t seen it.
Anticipating a busy week, Yvette had let the kids know that she would be working more and around the house less, so the nannies would be there most of the time. Theo got a little worried thinking she was leaving, and she reassured him that she wasn’t going anywhere, but she’d just be working more. While she knows the kids understood, she wonders what she could put down or let go of to juggle a little easier, although she’s not sure she wants to let go of anything right now.
The Art of Juggling
When you’re trying to juggle multiple things, there’s a learning curve that is extremely necessary and you will inevitably drop the ball at times. Every time you add a new ball to the juggle (baby, job, opportunity, etc), it gets a little more complicated. When you have your first baby, everything is a big deal. You can’t imagine making them upset. By the fourth, you realize sometimes they will be disappointed, and that’s okay.
In the same way, sometimes you have to learn that disappointing people outside of your family is okay. This may be especially hard if you’re a people pleaser, so setting boundaries is going to be essential. Keep in mind that every “yes” to one thing is a “no” to something else. Make boundaries with family, friends, church, work, etc. Set boundaries around things you want to protect like weekly date nights or family nights.
Practical Solutions to “Balance”
Here are some things they do to help them balance/juggle:
- Hire nannies
- Hire a Housecleaner
- Utilize Meal Delivery Services or Doordash
- Utilize Instacart for Groceries
- Batch things like meal prepping or scheduling meetings during a drive
- Use the Jar Method for fruits & veggies to make food last longer
- Get items like Razors Delivered
- Budget well
- Invest in therapy to table conversation and put things into perspective
- Delegate when there’s too much on your plate
What’s most important and your biggest asset is your time, so spend it well!
Thank you for listening and reading the show notes for this week’s episode!
The HMAY Team
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