There is a lot written about how women who work outside the home have a lot of pressure to be “super woman” — keeping house, helping to take care of the kids, and bringing home the bacon. However, not much is said about the plight of the work from home mom. As a WAHM myself, I know it can be a real pain to get everything done. And there’s the added onus from the fact that I am home all day. I’m working for a decent percentage of it, but I’m still here, and many assume that it means I have plenty of time to be the perfect homemaker (if such a person exists).

But the truth is that sometimes the house doesn’t get cleaned. While my son is at school priority #1 is getting work done (well, after I’ve done my morning swim). When my son gets home, my priority is getting him started on homework and piano practice and spending a little quality time with him. When my husband gets home from school, my priority is hanging out with him. And in between I try to start dinner.

This means that sometimes the house doesn’t get cleaned. I try to break it up into days, so I’m not trying to clean everything at once, but sometimes there’s toothpaste in the bathroom sinks, sticky spots on the kitchen floor and dust on the bookshelves. (My husband does the laundry, is in charge of the master bathroom, cooks regularly and occasionally does some vacuuming.) But I generally feel good because I’ve brought in the paycheck, taken care of my boys and done a little something for me. So if the house doesn’t get cleaned, so be it.

It took me some time to get to this point, but the fact of the matter is this: If you try to do everything, all the time, you will be stressed, unhappy, and not very fun to be around for your family. So figure out your priorities and let the less important things slide.