Is there life after bedtime?

Phew! Sharon and Shane are finally in bed and it's only 8:30 p.m. But you have bills to pay
and issues to talk out and the phone's ringing: It's Mom!....How can you keep from getting totally bogged down?

Of course, you want to be there for family and friends, but you also need way to manage your time - so you can reach for your life goals without wrenching your back! So how do you tip the Parent/Life seesaw back to level? Well, it takes planning.

Now, if the word "planning" makes you think of flow charts and graph paper, take a deep breath and count to ten. This kind of planning is less about post-it notes and calendars and more about a special kind of sixth sense. Think of it as a bell that goes off in your head whenever you're about to lose yourself in a whirlwind of school meetings, skateboards and scratchy throats.

Probably the best way to keep these mini-storms from erupting is to build up a network of friends and relatives you can call on for help. This is your life you're talking about, so it's no time to be bashful. If necessary, barter and trade your way to a more flexible schedule, sharing child care with the neighbors or taking turns grocery shopping with close friends. And then there's

- ahem - Dad, who probably would do more if you weren't so busy trying to be Supermom.

Being more organized will never stop you from loving your kids to pieces, but it will make it easier to love yourself. As you use your sixth sense to anticipate schedule snags, you'll find you've won back more time to just be you and manage your own life-agenda, whether it's mounting a job search, taking some courses or catching up with your favorite hobbies.
Think of it as the time you've won to enjoy life more after bedtime.

How do you manage your time? Do you handle your bills on certain days of the week?
Are parents required to be "on duty" all the time? How can family and friends help?

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