How many timea you spent for your families ?

Much as we all want to be with our kids, it is impossible to be with them for longer time everyday as our work commitments deprive us to be with our kids. But as long as we can spend short quality time with our family I think it will make up for that lost time.

Oh...the guilt of the working parent. I know exactly what you mean. I have two kids and I feel like I never have enough time to do all the things I need to do. I work full time, plus freelance writing online, so it seems I'm constantly juggling. The best thing I've found, is hanging out with my kids. Working on a puzzle, reading a book, going to the park. Kids don't need all kinds of extra activities. They just need some uninterrupted time with parent. Bath time, bed time, dinner time, whatever, devote yourself to engaging your daughter. Do the things she likes to do, talk about what she likes to talk about. Oh, and let her splash all she wants in the tub. The days and years go by far too quickly.

There was a time when I was working full-time plus going to college part-time, my husband has his own business, so I would do all of his accounting and billing. We have three children all of which were small at the time and I managed to find good quality time to spend with my kids. Yes I was very tired (all the time) but I still managed to spend time with them. It wasn't a lot of time, but like hardworkinggurl said, it definitely is the quality of time, not the quantity of time you spend with your child. I often look back on those days and now my oldest son is 21 and I have asked him if he ever thought I didn't spend enough time with him. Most of his friend's mom's never worked when they were all growing up, so I figured he would state that I didn't spend that much time with him. My son said that I spent more time with him than most mom's spend with their children. I asked him how he could say that when clearly I was gone all day and half of the night. He said that I always made time for him and his brother and sister and it was always quality time. I guess I must have done something right...LOL I think that fact that my kids have seen me working and going to school and raising a family makes them strive to do their very best at everything they try. Of course, I just hope my kids go to college right after high school and don't wait until they have a family to go...it certainly is a lot easier when you don't have a family.

Hon a very important rule it is not how much time we spend but the quality time itself. I know some moms who are stay at home moms and watch TV all day long while the kids play on the internet and or are on the street all day. So the fact that you have to work makes no bearing on no time for the family. See even an hour a day with direct discussion, playing games and driving the family on errands means a great deal. I had always had to work very long extensive hours but you betcha all the time I could I did all the above mentioned. There were days I had to work double shifts and I did not come home to sleep, rather picked up my son and drove him to his football games and while I was so tired and sleepy I sat in those stands and watched his beautiful face look back at me with a smile.

I spend a ton of time with and on my family. My daughter is so full of questions, and wants to explore everything, so we go exploring, both in and out of the house. i do not turn on tv, or get on the computer when I can be spending time with her. Even at school, I use my breaks for sites like this, so that i do not have to get a part time job. Even the $10 or so a week that I get through survey sites, keeps me from having to skimp on my time with my daughter.