9 Secrets of Busy Moms

Erin Rabitcheff is a singer-songwriter and mother of two boys, ages 7 and 10. She lives in Hastings, N.Y., and is the queen of negotiating.

What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?

Focus on something the kids want. If we get to a doctor's appointment early, then they can have some extra time on their iPods, or if I want to go on a hike with them, I might focus on getting ice cream at the end. Some may call it bribery, but I call it shifting the focus!

What’s your favorite dinner shortcut?

Frozen foods! Having bags of low-sodium, frozen grilled chicken strips, meatballs and green beans, and then adding some pasta is a quick way to make a meal for my boys.

What’s your biggest time-suck?

Transitions. Kids often do not want to leave one activity in favor of another.

Barbara Ruskin is a Manhattan-based patent attorney and mother of a 13-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son, and Barbara's style tends to take a cue from Bob Marley.

What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?

For me: Hair and lipstick on the run. For the kids: Shoes and backpacks ready by the door.

What’s your biggest time-suck?

Online shopping.

What’s your parenting motto?

Save yourself for the fights that really matter.

If your days had a theme song, what would it be? Bob Marley, "Three Little Birds" ("Don't Worry ‘Bout a Thing")

Tamecca Tillard is the founder of Learning Curve and mother of 5, ages 4 to 22. Tamecca lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and wishes the laundry would fold itself.

What’s your parenting motto?

Forgive yourself. Parenting is a journey, sometimes a complicated journey. I’ve made my share of my mistakes, but overall, I try to be thoughtful, deliberate and purposeful, and instill this in my children.

What’s your biggest time-suck?

Laundry. More specifically, folding. There is just no short-cut!

What do you always make time for?

My indulgence is giving myself the occasional “date” with me, where I try out a new restaurant, check out an exhibit, movie or sit still in the sun.

RELATED: Nutrition Tips for Busy Moms

Sara Hatler is a musician and mother of a 22-month-old boy. She lives in Alexandria, Va., and has never met a coupon she didn’t like.

What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?

Keeping shoes and socks by the door for Elijah, since that's the last step before we walk out of the house.

What do you always make time for?

I make time to keep in touch with my friends around the country. After moving around quite a bit in the last 10 years, keeping in touch with old friends is very important to me.

What’s your biggest time-suck?

I started couponing several months ago, and it is very addictive. I find myself spending way too much time reading blogs and clipping coupons. (Can't believe I just admitted that!)

Jennifer Hochschild is a Mill Valley, Calif., mother of three; an 8-month-old, 4-year-old, and a 6-year-old. She knows that the early bird has a better chance of maintaining her sanity.

What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?

Set my alarm to get up before the kids, and start getting everything ready to go before they wake up. And have some bags that are permanently packed. For example, the swim bag always has a fresh towel, soap, comb, etc., and is waiting in the closet.

What’s your favorite dinner shortcut?

Double my recipes when I have extra time to cook, and freeze half of them—then pull them out a couple weeks later and reheat.

April McCaffery is a single working mother of two and a blogger in Burbank, Calif. She’s always working on balance.

What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?

Do as much as possible the night before, and tell your kids you need to leave a half hour earlier than you actually do.

What’s your favorite dinner shortcut?

The slow cooker. It takes us about an hour and a half to drive home from the girls' schools—and even longer if my oldest has dance class, so when we finally do get home, none of us want to wait even 20 minutes for me to cook something.

What’s your parenting motto?

"It's All About Balance," which is why I named my blog that. Particularly as a single working parent, I would often get overwhelmed. Focusing on one thing at a time helps me get closer to the ever-elusive balance of ensuring that both girls get their needs met, that the responsibilities get done and that I also have time for me.

Charise M. Studesville, is a writer/director in Los Angeles. Her four kids are 7, 13, 16 and 21. She can work wonders with a roast chicken.

What’s your parenting motto?

Lead with love and compassion, and a memory of what it felt like to be whatever age or stage in life they are currently in.

What’s your favorite dinner shortcut?

Hands down, it’s the already roasted chickens from Whole Foods. I cut the meat off the bone and use it in soups, stews, stir fry, enchiladas, sandwiches, you name it.

What do you always make time for?

Talking with each of them. No matter where I am or what I am doing, I am available to talk.

RELATED: 12 Ways to Volunteer at School

Adriane Lentz-Smith is a history professor in Durham, N.C., and the mother of a 4-year-old and 19-month-old. She knows that it’s impossible to do everything.

What’s your parenting motto?

My husband and I share one: "There is no such thing as co-parenting. This is an equal partnership with shared joys and burdens." To make that work, though, I also enforce a second motto: "Let it go. We don't need to do everything; we just need to do enough."

What’s your biggest time-suck?

Bath time and bedtime rituals. As the kids get more insistent on doing things themselves (from washing up to reading bedtime stories), everything slows down to a molasses crawl. It's an exercise in patience not to take over for them.

What do you always make time for?

Reading. I often derail our morning routine by sitting in the bed reading books with the kids before breakfast. In the evenings, we always make time for family walks around the neighborhood.

Sharon McDonald is a homemaker and natural health educator in Gilbert, Ariz. She is the mother of five kids, ranging 4 to 16 years old. She takes a no-holds-barred approach to getting out of the house in the morning.

What’s your best get-out-of-the-door-fast time-saving technique?

Walk out the door saying goodbye! We set an alarm. When it goes off, you must be ready to go out the door! We're leaving!

What’s your parenting motto?

Take it easy and let them play!

What do you always make time for?

Goodnight kisses, stories, songs and prayer.

MORE: Outfit a Crazy Schedule