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[quote=Anonymous]OP, I hear you.  It can be so hard to find a good balance and not feel overwhelmed.

Before kids, I worked full-time (nonprofit sector do-gooder stuff, I enjoy the mission).  After kids, I have strived to work part-time, with varying levels of success.  Working a reduced schedule (80% or 60%) can be a great thing if you can find an employer willing to do it.  But there are costs professionally -- I am clearly not invested in the workplace the way some 60-hour a week colleagues are, and so I was on a very slow mommy-track.  At times it bothered me to see others advance professionally and realize I was not, but it is a trade-off one can choose.

I have spent the last few years working a part-time job during the school-day and doing some contract work projects for colleagues as a way to work partly from home and have a light work schedule but still have some income.  I like not feeling so harried by a non-stop schedule of responsibilities, but my earnings have definitely taken a hit -- it depends on your family finances whether that is at all feasible.  I feel like this is a good balance for me, I am home afterschool with my (school-aged) kids most days, and work on my computer on some paid projects some of the time, but I have clearly traded off some income and professional advancement to get it.  I think that what amounts to a good balance depends on your temperament, your priorities, and your financial needs vs wants.  I get anxious being a go-go-go kind of person, but some others really thrive on that adrenaline and enjoy the sense of accomplishment from juggling so many work and home tasks and making it all happen.

Good luck in figuring out a good balance for you, and in trying to set up a situation that will allow you to seek it. Not an easy thing.

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