When the phone rings at my house, my 3-year-old knows exactly what to do: She stops whatever she's doing and gets very, very quiet until I hang up the phone.

She knows that when I'm on the phone, I can't play with her. I can't get her anything. I can't even speak to her. I'm working.

It's quite the balancing act, but it's possible if you're a good multi-tasker.

These Chicago-area women are able to take their kids to preschool, run to a mommy-and-me class-and type a work email from their phone while feeding the baby a bottle. They have it all, and were willing to explain exactly how they manage it so you can, too.