In the constant quest for work/life balance tips, problogger Gina Blitstein spoke with Michelle Riggen-Ransom and Pamela O’Hara of BatchBlue Software for their take on priorities and running a business AND family.

It’s no revelation to say that having a business requires a complete commitment. The same can be said of motherhood. When you wear both of these hats, the demands can seem overwhelming! How do you reconcile the amount you give of yourself to your business with the amount of yourself that you devote to your personal and family life? How do you make sure there’s enough of you to go around to remain happy and effective in both arenas?

The answer depends on your priorities.

I recently interviewed two accomplished mothers (who just happen to run the same company) about how they manage their roles as businesswomen and moms. Both women are emotionally invested in their business and fiercely dedicated to its success. They are equally passionate as mothers, committed to spending quality time with their families, despite their busy work life. Their answers, however, were surprisingly different.

Pamela O’Hara, President of BatchBlue Software, routinely works a 60-hour week. A

s a mother of 3 children aged 2, 5 and 7, Pamela appreciates the flexibility her schedule allows. While sometimes business is the focus, at other times the needs of her family come first.

Pamela explains, “The challenge with work/life balance is in all the grey areas.” As far as maintaining a clear delineation between what is ‘work’ time and what is ‘personal/family’ time, she admits that it’s a daily challenge. As for designating certain hours ‘for work’ or ‘for family,’ Pamela says any schedule is, “more of a guideline than a rule.”

According to Pamela, communication between work and family is key. “I try to communicate each to the other. I talk to my kids and husband about my work. So when I do have to take an afternoon to work they understand better why I have to do it. And same with the work environment. At BatchBlue we very much respect each other’s personal lives. We share what is happening professionally and personally in staff meetings and in the daily “status” e-mails we send to each other. We maintain flexible schedules so that everyone does have the ability to work family obligations into their workday as needed. In the end we all want the same thing - a healthy family and a successful business so as long as all is being communicated (which is not always easy, but something to keep working towards) they should be able to live together harmoniously.”

Pamela reassures women trying to balance the demands of a professional life with their personal life by revealing, “It doesn’t ever balance. Sometimes it swings one way, sometimes the other. Take it one day at a time and enjoy both. If you do you will be a better worker and family member.”

Michelle Riggen-Ransom is Director of Communications at BatchBlue Software where she averages 50 hours weekly. In contrast to her business partner, this mother of a 6 and a 2 year old says that she and her family are best served by a more structured approach. “I have to have a pretty strict schedule to make it all work for me,” Michelle says. She finds that compartmentalizing work and personal/family life is the best approach for her. She believes that, ideally, “when you are at work you think about work, when you are with the kids, you should fully be with them.” As far as maintaining the delineation between work and family time, Michelle says, “I’m pretty good at it, actually.”

While Michelle says that her personal and professional life are pretty integrated, she admits, “Family trumps work.” Ultimately what helps Michelle maintain separation of work and family is, “having a schedule that works, which I try very hard to stick to. That said, the slightest thing can throw it off (sick sitter or kid, unexpected travel etc.) so the line does invariably get blurred. You need to have a contingency plan in place for those times.”

Michelle advises women to cut themselves some slack when attempting to balance their work and life. “There is no perfect solution, no “having it all,” she says, “so don’t put pressure on yourself to try to create it.”

What, ultimately, is the payoff for making the balance work for you? Pamela says, “I think it is important to feel a sense of accomplishment outside of my family responsibilities. For me, that gives me the confidence and challenge I need to appreciate my own self worth. I think I make a much better parent understanding that I am an accomplished adult.” As for the flipside of the coin, regarding her family, she says, “They remind me daily why I want to be accomplished.” Michelle adds that while her house could use some straightening, “Hopefully my children will remember that they were loved and listened to and adored by parents who worked hard at their interesting jobs.”

Every woman will confront the challenges of divvying herself up among her various roles. Take into consideration your own priorities, whether you strive for a great amount of freedom or a high degree of structure - or somewhere in between. You can find an individual, workable balance between your work and personal life that will satisfy each and most importantly - you.

Where do your priorities lie when balancing your work and family?

Problogger Gina Blitstein offers methods she’s developed that can help you teach your children to embrace a wider variety of foods, and consequently eat more healthily.

By Gina Blitstein

Adults are well aware of the food pyramid. Most of us try to eat with its guidelines in mind so as to stay healthy and at an appropriate weight. While the food pyramid is a helpful guide toward nutritious eating, children know nothing about its principles - unless we adults make certain to teach them, that is. Children start early making judgments on what they like and don’t like to eat. No child is going to eat something just because we tell them that it is “good for you.” When children’s options are limited, their preferences are equally limited. That’s why it is vital that we as adults provide every opportunity for youngsters to experience a variety of foods in a variety of ways.

What can we do as the ones responsible for children’s health and physical development to broaden their food horizons? Having fed hundreds of children at all stages of development as a childcare provider for over 20 years, I’ve accumulated some knowledge and techniques pertaining to children’s nutrition and eating habits. With the right attitude, I know we can make a difference.

Children’s taste buds grow and mature along with the rest of their bodies. Just because a child shuns a particular food today doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy it tomorrow - or next year. Don’t let one dismissal of a food banish it from the child’s realm of existence. Broccoli exists, whether a child wants to eat it or not. Making broccoli disappear only makes the child feel she has more power over food choices than she rightfully should.

Of course you can’t make a child eat broccoli (or any food she chooses to boycott) but it should still be regularly offered in a variety of ways. I’ve found it effective to sometimes ‘camouflage’ a food and other times offer it outright. That way, even if the child chooses not to eat something this time, he is still receiving adequate nutrition.

Here are some methods I’ve developed over the years that have helped me teach children to embrace a wider variety of foods, and consequently eat more healthily:

• Your food processor is your friend. Whether you are a “from scratch” cook or you are opening a jar of spaghetti sauce or a can of soup, add some pureed vegetables to bump up the nutritional content. Adding pureed veggies to homemade meatloaf or meatballs is a great way not only to increase nutrition but flavor and moisture. Puree some peppers, onion and mushrooms and stir them into tomato sauce when making homemade pizza…kids will learn what tastes good on a pizza and not pick off the veggies. Pureed veggies can be mixed into lots of things…sloppy joe filling, taco meat, casseroles…Be sure to match appropriate vegetables with the food…I’m not proposing pureed broccoli in the tacos!

• Sauces and dips are also your friend. Let a child choose what she would like to dip her celery or fish stick in…ketchup on a carrot stick?! - while it may seem revolting to you, your kid is eating a carrot, right?

• Seasoning is your friend, too. A little touch of salt, chicken bouillon, even sugar on cooked veggies will make them much more palatable to children.

Of course it’s not just vegetables children don’t eat enough of. Meatloaf or meatballs is a good place to add some wheat germ or oatmeal for additional whole grains. Try this compromise to get a child to eat whole grain bread…use one slice of whole wheat and one slice of white in a sandwich. If you serve it white side up, he may not even notice, especially if it’s toasted. Cinnamon, peanut butter or jelly also make good camouflage for whole grain bread. If the kids aren’t fans of brown rice, try mixing it half and half with white rice.

As for encouraging children to eat more protein, pair it with something they already like. Try stirring extra cheese, ground beef, chicken, hot dogs or ham into macaroni and cheese.

Children must learn that the word chicken is not automatically followed by the word nugget. I not only cook a variety of foods but familiar foods in different ways. The best way to teach food’s many different incarnations is to allow children to observe the preparation. Giving them “face time” with food de-mystifies it, taking away the mystery of what ends up on their plate and ultimately in their mouth.

Finally, I offer these suggestions for encouraging a pleasant dining experience and a healthy relationship with food for all:

• Cook one meal for everyone. You are not a short order cook! Provide at least one representative from all the food groups, and you have accomplished your mission as the cook. Special orders encourage pickyness for pickyness’ sake.

• For anyone under the age of 5, prepare a plate with a little of everything. Once everything has been at least tasted, more of something may be taken. We don’t want to teach a child to “gorge” on one particular food to the exclusion of everything else.

• Even babies eat what the family eats…in most cases there is no reason for buying expensive jars of baby food! With very few exceptions, a baby can have a pureed version of what the rest of the family is eating. Before a baby begins eating proteins (around 8 months) you can reserve some vegetables from the family meal and puree or mash them to an appropriate texture. After starting proteins, a baby can eat a pureed version of the same meal. This is a fantastic way to gradually teach their taste buds to get used to flavors and textures.

Hopefully these suggestions will help the children you cook for learn to enjoy eating lots of healthy foods, and enjoy the lovely experience of eating!

What changes can you make toward teaching your children to eat nutritiously?