I was recently interview by Raki Wright of Outside The Box Mom where we speak about my work, family life, and tips/tricks for getting everything done!

You can view the article here. You can also read below.

How One Working Mom Does it All

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of another working mom is like?

I’m featuring an interview with a working mom just like you. It’s called A Day in the Life of a Working Mom.

We’ll learn about what she does for work, her family life, and….her tips/tricks for getting everything done.

Today’s featured Working Mom is Apryl!

What is your typical day like?

Sometimes I feel like there isn’t such a thing as a typical day, but I generally have the most “routine” when my kids are in school. I generally try to get up early (5:30am) to attend a 6am class, come home and shower while my husband prepares lunches and gets the kids up and dressed.

I then take the kids to school, and head back home for a full day of work, which involves meetings, writing, planning, and brainstorming.

When I pick up my kids in the afternoon/evening, I’ll bring them home and we cook dinner, start repacking for the next day, and work on homework.

If there’s time after dinner, we’ll either play a game or I may tie up some loose ends on my work day while the boys play together, and then we get ready for bed!

What’s the best thing about being a working mom? What’s the hardest thing?

The best thing about being a working mom is that I have great bookends to my very busy work day. I love picking up my kids from school after a long day, giving them big hugs, and seeing their smiles.

I think the hardest thing about being a working mom is when work gets extremely busy, and I have to juggle the kids and the work. I have to work hard at not feeling too much guilt for prioritizing one over the other.

Do you experience guilt associated with being a working mom?

Considering I mentioned guilt in the answer to my last question, the answer is obviously YES! I know most, if not all mothers do.

But it’s completely natural – we have a tough job to do, and we want to always appear that we have it all together!

I once left my husband at home to take care of the kids one weekend while I was away, and when I returned, he said to me, “I don’t think I’ve been giving you enough credit for what you do with the kids. This is a lot.”

I’ve been working very hard at doing my best to release the guilt, because allowing those negative feelings to stick around takes me away from focusing on how I can actually be the best mom I can be.

This is a lot.” I’ve been working very hard at doing my best to release the guilt, because allowing those negative feelings to stick around takes me away from focusing on how I can actually be the best mom I can be.

How do you handle day to day responsibilities (meals, laundry, cleaning, chauffeuring kids, Dr. appointments, school meetings, etc.)?

I divide and conquer with my husband, Tim, and delegate as much as I can to other services that can help me get things done. I wash all the laundry and Tim does all the folding, he does the dishes, and I do the meals. He handles the outdoor tasks or anything that requires handy work, and I handle the general organization of the house.

I take on most of the driving to appointments, parties, school, and activities but I can lean on Tim when needed. I hire a cleaning service every other week to clean the house. When things get busy, I utilize grocery delivery services. We also get a babysitter or lean on family for additional support when needed.

I wash all the laundry and Tim does all the folding, he does the dishes, and I do the meals. He handles the outdoor tasks or anything that requires handy work, and I handle the general organization of the house.

I take on most of the driving to appointments, parties, school, and activities but I can lean on Tim when needed. I hire a cleaning service every other week to clean the house.

When things get busy, I utilize grocery delivery services. We also get a babysitter or lean on family for additional support when needed.

What are your top 3 – 5 tips for keeping everything together?

The first tip I have is to make time for planning. I spend part of my Sunday looking at the upcoming two weeks and making a list of things I need to do to make sure I can be successful in accomplishing the essential things.

Second is to always add extra space and buffer time in the day because it always takes longer to get things done than we think.

I usually pencil in things like meals and breaks, transportation times, and 15-minute blocks around important meetings so that I’m not rushing from one appointment to the other and trying to do too much.

This buffer allows me to get caught up when that unexpected urgent thing pops up that I need to address.

Third tip is to practice gratitude often. Sometimes we can get overwhelmed at all of the things we have do on our plate, and the complaining and frustration that comes with it can cause us to be even less productive.

When we clear our minds of the stress and look at the situation from a positive perspective, we can stay focused get more done.

Guilty pleasures?

I have a crazy sweet tooth, so that’s probably my top guilty pleasure. Second would be the one or two reality TV shows that I watch.

Is there anything else you’d like to add that you think would encourage other working moms?

I think the most important thing we can do as moms is to be willing to ask for help. Myself included, sometimes I just want to do it all because I know that if I do it, it will be done right. But if we take on too much, we are that much more at risk of stress and burnout.

Leverage those around you who love you and any services to make more time in your day to do the things you love! You’ll be much happier as a result.

But if we take on too much, we are that much more at risk of stress and burnout. Leverage those around you who love you and any services to make more time in your day to do the things you love! You’ll be much happier as a result.

About Apryl

Apryl Schlueter, author of Finding Success in Balance: My Journey to The Cheerful Mind, has always been the type of person who had a wide variety of aspirations and big goals.

She has played many roles in her life: actor, vocalist, cheerleader, pianist, ice skater, martial arts black belt, flying trapeze artist, half-marathon runner, engineer, finance and operations manager, organizational expert, teacher, coach, wife, mother, generous friend, published author, and speaker, just to name a few.

Finding Success in Balance presents tangible action steps and exercises that anyone can apply to their own lives. Apryl shares how she regained control of her life and the lessons she learned throughout her journey, including how to:

• Find time for the things you love without sacrifice
• Accomplish goals that are aligned with your priorities
• Love your career and grow strong, healthy relationships
• Manage stress and avoid burnout
• And much more!