You CAN actually balance family and work!  Read more in this post sponsored by Niagara Water and Millennial Blogs.

I have never not been a working mom. Three months after my daughter was born, I dropped her off at my employer’s daycare and hopped back into my pre-baby routine, eager to get back to making a living to take care of my family. As much of a necessity as it is for me to be a working mom, and as much as I enjoy doing work that I love, I gotta admit, it does occasionally come with some guilt.

If you’re a working mom, I know you understand those times. You know, when you’re on a deadline and can’t stop what you’re doing right now to play a game with your little one. Or when you have to tell them that even though you’re typing on the computer, you promise you’re still listening. My heart always aches a little bit during those moments, and I question whether this whole working mom thing is even worth it.

Then, I remember how much my work helps to take care of private school tuition and choir fees. I think about all of the fun we have on our family vacations and the wonderful adventures we have all the time thanks to the work that I do. I realized that instead of fighting the challenge of trying to balance work and family, that I just needed to be smarter about finding the balance.

That’s why it’s good to have a no-nonsense personality. I believe that every problem has a solution and that it doesn’t have to be difficult. Small changes can make a huge difference! In fact, my no-nonsense approach to overcoming challenges is what made Niagara Water give me the title of Mrs. No-Nonsense. My tip for taking on the struggle of being a working mom and spending quality time with your kiddos?

Increase your productivity and the time you have to spend having fun with your family by setting and sticking to office hours.

I’ve trained myself to focus and get things done during my scheduled work time so that I don’t have to cut into family time later. Planners, lists, online calendars, and timers help me to stay on task and get my work done so when my baby girl wants to play, I can shut my computer down and give her my full attention. After all, being able to take care of her is the reason I do this work in the first place.

Quality time with my little girl is the daily bonus and gives me the fuel to keep going. If something as simple as setting office hours gives me the opportunity to spend more time with her, then office hours it is. See how easy it can be to find balance. When you’re at work, do the work. When you’re at home, do the family stuff. Trust me, you’ll be grateful for the balance!

Do you have any clever hacks? Share your own No-Nonsense tip on Niagara Water’s page for a chance to win a $100 gift card! We’ll be joining forces with Niagara Water to pick some No-Nonsense winners from submissions sent in now through the end of April.