How do you all balance your schedules and still get to spend quality time with your hubby and kids?

Im new to working and going to school at the same time. Hubby gets so agitated that we never have time to do anything! Doesn't help that he works 16+ hours a day and work weekends! ack! 

For us, luckily my husband isn't in a fleet. When he isn't out in the field or a night range we are able bring him dinner and hang out with him in his office on nights that he doesn't come home or has duty. When he isn't in cycle he takes leave and comes up to my work almost every day of his leave and has lunch with me.

As for work, my employer is very understanding of my family life. I'm one of the lead analysis so I get to the office at the buttcrack of dawn and am out of here and home as the kids are walking home from school. Though we are encountering a situtation here shortlty because I didn't go to on the last trip, Canada, so I have to go to Singapore and my husband may be in cycle. So I may possibly have to pay my sister to stay at our place while I'm gone. But other than that, my work is pretty leniant on family events.

PLUS, once or twice a month I call off and just spend the day with the kids at Disneyland. Every other weekend we go to Disneyland and we just started having family game night on fridays. 

Also, my daughters are at the age where they understand the value of money. My close friends would say my family and I have an expensive lifestyle and thankfully my kids realize that mommy and daddy work a lot to give them what they want. 

Currently my husband is deployed, but when he is in the states and isn't working 16+ days we eat dinner as a family every day. I cook every night and make sure a meal is ready for the three of us. On the weekends; Saturday's we normally spend the day out, run errands, or go over a friends place. On Sundays we always spend that day as a whole family. We normally stay home on Sundays and relax and get caught up on chores. I also go to school, so I normally balance school, work, home life, by doing homework on Sundays or by doing homework at night on the week days. I also coach my daughters soccer teams when she is in season. When I do that he helps out with the team. He's not into soccer, but he would help set up the fields for me or he would help out with the parents. You learn to find ways to spend time with your family. You make it work. I know what it's like for them to work a lot or for them to be gone for long periods of time, so you learn to cherish the "2 minutes" you have with them a day. You can have game nights as a family, I know in my household we don't watch television on the week nights before 7pm so I would have my daughter read to us, or we would play games as a family or we would go on walks together. You'll learn different things as time goes on. 

@grantsmommy- is your husband at SOI? I remember you commenting on an SOI thread not long ago. 

wow that's a tough schedule. My husband and I work full time as well. I am lucky and work from 7-4 so I have a little time in the afternoons to be with the kiddos. My husband is in school right now and commuting to San Diego so he gets home a little later than normal, so we don't get to see as much as we'd like. We do have the weekends together and spend as much time together as possible. We go bowling, walking, hiking, bike riding, movies or just spend time at home playing games, watching movies, baking etc. Its hard at times but I try to make the most out of the time we do have together. 

My husband is on recruiting so we don't get a lot of time together. For us it is quality rather than quantity. I am very happy with the time we do have together. I also think it is important to be intimate at least 3 times a week, more if possible.

As for my kids they are in school but I still try to stay involved. I am oftentimes scheduled for 9.5-10 hour days some days but only 4-5 on others. When I have those shorter days I volunteer in my kids' classes when possible. I also try to get my grocery shopping and other errands done during the week so that the weekends are family time. My husband tries very hard to always have Sundays off. It's not every time, but most weekends he is able to make it work. Family has always be a priority for both of us, but me working is a newer thing. We went into the transition knowing that it wouldn't be easy and we would both have to make some changes. 

Account- we are on recruiting duty to, where are a you guys stationed? I can not imagine how hard it must be you working to. I don't know how you do it. It's bad enough on this duty we do 100% of everything because of how often they work. But I would think you would be sooo tired from working to. I give you major credit. The transition was hard but we are 1 year and a half down and we got a good thing going now. I do have 4 kids, they keep me busy. We also have to make family time, movie nights and find free local fun things to do. 

He is in the Northeast region. We have 3 kids but like I said they are finally all in school full time. Husband has finished one year of this. It is by far the hardest assignment he has ever had. 

We are Northwest. I agree 100% harder than 2 deployments, at least for us. 

I wok mon-Friday 8-2 have plenty o time to come home cook and spend time with my daughter. I don't depend on my hubby cause he is always busy with the field or deployed. When he is around it is great he helps around the house and cooks. My suggestion go to college get a degree then u don't have to work long hours to make alot of $. I make $40+ an hour. So I don't have to work a ton of hours to make a ton of $. perfect balance! 

I agree 100% harder than 2 deployments, at least for us. 

For me it is probably easier because we actually see him more than we used to. He also used to have a very dangerous job prior to recruiting. For him, though, it is much harder. It is hard for me to see him dread going to work each day.

So I don't have to work a ton of hours to make a ton of $. perfect balance! 

What I do (by choice because I love doing it) doesn't pay well. That is okay with me because I am happy every day. If a job that pays $40 an hour was perfect for me it would have been great, but it's not. 

My suggestion go to college get a degree then u don't have to work long hours to make alot of $.
Not always true. My job requires a degree plus be a CFA charterholder and I still work +40hrs/wk plus traveling. BUT my benefits are amazing and my pay is extremely well.


I don't depend on my hubby cause he is always busy with the field or deployed. I completely agree!! I feel a strong wife should obtain these characteristics to survive whether it is a “military” marriage or “civilian” marriage: Emotional and physical independence. If one could be financially independent as well I feel that's the “Golden Ticket” to a strong marriage. Because it alleviates the stress from the husband that he doesn’t have to take everything on his own. But, that’s just my own opinion.


You learn to find ways to spend time with your family. You make it work. Couldn't have said it any better. Someone's schedule may be different from yours. Someone may have one child, multiple children or no children at all; children with extra curricular activies; children with special needs that have appointments. I would suggest thinking about the quality of time spent oppose the quantity of time together. 

My suggestion go to college get a degree then u don't have to work long hours to make alot of $. I make $40+ an hour. So I don't have to work a ton of hours to make a ton of $. perfect balance! 

I honestly have almost the same hours but I don't make $40 an hour but I am so happy with my job. My boss is more like my grandpa and he helps me with the "man" things that the husband can't because he's deployed right now. I don't have a bachelors but I do have an associates and no way did my associates get me this job. My experience did. The fact that I'm an extremely hard working who does a 3 man job. I def don't work a ton of hours either. One of the many things I have learned about the marine corps is it builds character. I may not be a marine, but I'm extremely strong willed because my husband is. I know what my family needs to be safe, happy, and loved. I do all those things on a daily basis. 

Part of my crazy schedule is me working towards my degree. I work 2 eight hour shifts on Friday and Saturday as a nursing assistant/care manager. And I go to school tues and thursdays for 9 hours. I can't wait until Im a licensed RN and I can work my 3 12 hours shifts and not go to school for such long hours! But for the next year im going to be a busy girl. I love my CNA job (its rewarding for me) and I really don't do it for the money and more for the experience. Thanks for your advice everyone!