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Mothers that work outside the home face a lot of guilt. It is difficult for many to make the decision to leave their child each day with someone else. Face it, your children spend most of their waking hours in the care of someone else. I take both of my children to daycare each day and know this guilt first-hand. During the week, I get to spend an hour each morning (all while rushing around to get everyone ready for their day), and about three hours each evening with my kids. I learned a long time ago that these three hours need to be quality hours.

A long day at work can leave you exhausted. Sometimes all I want to do is relax, and the last thing I want is to play with Play-Doh or put together a puzzle. But I know it is important, and once I sit down with my children I generally have a pretty good time. Because the kids go to bed earlier than I do, I keep in mind that I can relax after they go to bed.

Remember that just like you have bad days, your kids may have bad days too. Sometimes your child will arrive home from daycare cranky and tired. It is important for you to understand this, and be willing to deal with your child diplomatically, kindly, but firmly. Disciplining your child remains important, and do not let the fact that you don't spend much time with them dissuade you from doing so.

There are a number of ways I as a parent make the time I am home in the evenings with my children matter. I love cooking dinner for my family, but run the risk of it eating into more of the limited time I have with my kids. My solution is to have them help. My little girl will stand at the sink and rinse potatoes and pull the string on the salad spinner. At two years old, she is not really that helpful, but she enjoys it and it gives us time to be together.

After we cook dinner, we eat together every evening. We turn the television off and enjoy our meal. We talk about our day, and about what books we will read for bedtime, or whether or not it is bath night. I suspect that our conversations will become a bit more complex as they get older, but I feel strongly that we are laying a foundation for this to occur, all while spending quality time together.

In the summertime we take advantage of the extra daylight. Each night after dinner we go for a walk, or we will swing, blow bubbles, or draw on the driveway with sidewalk chalk.

I still wish I had more time with my children, but I feel good about the quality of time I get to spend with them after work. We are making memories and bonding, all while I am teaching them my values and the importance of family.

Learn more about this author, Tina Lehman.
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