Laura Betterly: Tips on Balancing Career and Family

"Prioritization, organizational and delegation are essential to achieve the balance that allows a woman to enjoy a rich family life while performance of his career," said Laura Betterly, CEO of In Touch Media Group, Inc (www.intouchmediagroup. com), a full-service marketing company that specializes in the use of the Internet as a public relations and advertising tool. "For women, a balance between career and family need not be a high-wire act - it just requires a little juggling."

Betterly knows whereof she speaks. With a husband and their two teenagers, Betterly is among the 72 percent of mothers with children one year or more who are on the labour market. While acknowledging that his high-powered career allows him to take advantage of services that are not accessible to low-income mothers, Betterly maintains that all women can develop the skills necessary to balance work and family.

"The priority is the process of realizing that you can not do everything, to decide what is important, and not sweating the little things," said Betterly. Although she likes to deliver with his host family meal , Betterly would rather spend time with his son before the stove every night. "I'm going to a place called Get Cooking now where I can do twelve dishes in their kitchen at the same time," she said. "I bring them home, freeze them, and I am able to give my family good, nutritious meals, without much preparation time or dirt."

Betterly also sculpts more time with the family being organized and streamlining other household chores. "I do all our personal banking and bill payment online, and use Quicken to track all of our expenses and maturity dates," she said. And if you're Betterly on the gift list, you can count on the fact that what is in the box came from an online source. "I use the Internet for buying gifts, especially during holidays," she said. "I can find what I'm looking online, and I prefer to spend time with my husband and son traipse through shopping malls. "

Finally, Betterly is a firm believer in delegation. "Each family member has a list of jobs to do around the house, like taking out the trash, wash clothes and do dishes," she said. "Delegating tasks, boys have learned that their contributions are important to our family, and we have more time for fun. "

And what Betterly, her husband Steve Blom, and son Craig and Chris do their extra time? "We are going to the cinema, concerts, visiting friends, and barbecue," she said. "Besides, I get good enough to play the Digital Dance Revolution video game with boys."

Betterly concludes: "As women, we do not have to make a choice between work and family. With a little skill and some practice, you can juggle two magnificent. "

About the Author
Kris Nickerson is the editor of the international press Direct (www.pressdirectinternational.org), a global information site that provides reliable information tailored for professionals in financial services, media, business and markets. His thorough knowledge of industries ranging from health care and travel to real estate and financial investment allows him to quickly grasp the nuances of emerging markets and technologies.