I’m concerned with the I can do it! model that us working mothers have set for ourselves. It is empowering, yes, but we need to know that it’s okay when we feel like we just can’t do it, too.

The topic of working mothers reminds of this article. My reaction to it? Oh no she didn’t!

My work/life balance often feels like a tightrope walk. I am some combination between a working mom (WM) and a stay at home mom (SAHM); they haven’t even come up with an acronym for us crazies. Maybe the brand of mom I am could be defined as WSAHM: Why Sanity Abandons Her Mental state.

I run a photography business out of my living room, and sometimes things can get a bit messy. Pulling triple duty as a full-time parent, full-time business owner, and full-time wife, I rarely have time for myself.

I don’t want a pity party. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to stay at home with my kids and own a successful business. But I do wish for a better work/life balance, which is always changing because our kids are young (Tavish, 3, and Pierson, 1), and because of my husband’s travel schedule for work. Sometimes he’s gone for days at a time, and I’m left solo-parenting this circus. During those times I try to put work down (even though it’s yelling deadlines at me from my desk), and focus on being present as my boys’ mother. When my husband, Dustin, gets home, he takes over being the main parent while I go hide in our office and tend to business; family outings do not happen often at our house.

Our busy schedules can also be a strain on our marriage. Although we live in the same house, Dustin’s and my conversations usually consist of nap schedules and work projects. And no matter who’s taking care of the boys, at the end of the day, we’re both exhausted.

Basically, I constantly feel like I’m juggling: Work, Parenting, Cleaning and Sleep; and at any given time, one of those balls is on the floor. (The ‘Wife’ ball and the ‘Time for Myself’ ball are usually already on the floor)!

But over the last three years, I’ve found that there are some saving points in our lives, which makes our circus function:

Eat together:

We eat every single meal together at the table when Dustin is home, and we won’t bend on this one. It’s crucial for our kids to see us all together.

Keep work and parenting separate:

When we had our second child, we decided the boys should share a room so that I could have a space to work without interruption. When I’m parenting, I try to keep the laptop in the office and out of the living room; the deadlines don’t yell so loudly at me then.

Make moments count:

When I do get a second to myself, or with friends or my husband, we all relish in it. We soak every tiny drop out of those moments, store them away, and pull them out in rations later.

Look at the bigger picture:

Dustin and I are working hard now to build a business that will sustain our family financially and give us the freedom of time. Getting started is the hard part since we’re investing so much time and money into our goals, but staying focused is key. Even from here, 2012 looks like it’s going to be much easier.

Hold your judgements:

We both try our hardest to not judge each other’s parenting styles or housekeeping skills. And we’ve come to a place where we agree that some things just don’t need to get done that day. If my house is clean and my kids are happy, my business is suffering; if business is great and my kids are happy, my house is suffering. It’s just a constant juggle.

Show appreciation everyday:

There is nothing more important than feeling valued and appreciated. Stuff is hard, but my husband and I feel like a team. And nothing is better than making sure your teammate knows s/he did a good job, regardless of what did or didn’t get done that day.

How do you all handle your work/life juggle? Do you feel like you are constantly dropping one (or more!) balls? How do you balance this if you have a family, or have a unique work or life situation?