Just read a great article on Entrepreneur.com called Moms Can Have It All – They Just Can’t Do It All. It is written to mompreneurs, but the concepts in it can apply to any mom (or dad). Running your own business is a lot of work, and it’s important to separate work from home, especially when you “work from home”. A mom’s work never ends though, right? At home, there’s always going to be laundry to fold, dishes to do, dusting, straightening, cooking, etc… The list can sometimes feel endless. Lucky for me, I have a husband who wants and enjoys helping me around the house. But, outside of all of the work that needs to get done, how many other things can easily consume our time away from our kids?

One of the ways we’ve kept the focus on family is not to have cable in the house. First, my husband and I are not big TV watchers. Ninety nine percent of the time, we can think of a lot of other ways we’d rather spend our time than to watch TV. In fact, ask him how I feel about movies, and he’ll tell you that watching movies is one of my least favorite things to do. (I’d much rather talk!) :) I do enjoy going to the movies with our kids, just for the sheer fact that they get so excited about it. Why all the excitement? They don’t watch much TV. For us not to have cable in the home is a great way for us to stay in control of the time we have with our family. Let me tell ya… We do miss it sometimes. March Madness… we miss it. UFC fights… we miss it (yes, even me). Discovery Channel… we miss it. Food Network… I’d love to watch an episode. But we don’t miss it so much that we want to get it. For us, it’s too easy to get trapped and miss out on quality time with our family.

It’s always good for us parents to stay in check. Plan out your day, and set strict times that you will spend with family – no matter what. Since I do so much work on my computer, I have to make a conscious effort to keep my laptop closed and not check my emails during family time. In this article, I love how Lisa says to be true to your time. When you work, work. When you play, play. My kids know when I’m giving them my complete and total attention. “You don’t have to check your BlackBerry when you’re at the park with your kids. I think you’ll find relief when you set these rules for yourself.” It’s the little things that count.

Sometimes, it’s a tradeoff. Clean house vs. Playing with the kids. I remember when our kids were little, and there were those days where it drove me nuts to see the mess – toys everywhere, laundry to do, crumbs on the wood floor, dishes in the sink… I know you moms understand the feeling! But, I’ll always remember what my husband would say to me. He says it even today.

“G, this is just how it is at this time in our lives. ENJOY it. You’re going to miss it when it’s gone.”

And, that is so true.