Untangling Busy Schedules Parents feel the intensity of their family’s overpacked schedules Story by Brandon LaChance There is no written formula to life. No one knows what lifestyle is the best or how to make it work. However, modern families are feeling the struggle with their daily tasks, duties, responsibilities, and activities quickly filling up their schedules, leaving little time to decompress. If you’re feeling the pressure of an overpacked schedule, you’re not alone. These Illinois Valley families are coping with the same issue. The Tony and Tanya Milus household in Mendota has been manipulating schedules and Google Maps for years for full-time jobs and activities for six children ranging from 20-to-1 ½ years old. “It’s pretty much on me. I am home with the kids, and he works long hours and 45 minutes away,” said Tanya Milus, 34, a Peru native. “He does help during his one day off during the week, which is usually Wednesday. Other than that, it’s me. Right now, my schedule starts with Domenic needing to be at driver’s ed at 6:30 a.m. every day Monday-Friday. Then he has basketball. “In the evening, I juggle three baseball schedules and two soccer schedules,” she added. Tony is a sales and finance manager at Gjovik Chevrolet in Sandwich. For the last 1 ½ years, he has been driving 45 minutes to work and 45 minutes back after long days. On his off day, he helps as much as he can with the five children who are at home: Domenic Richey (15, Tanya’s son from a previous relationship who will add football practice to his schedule in August), Elizek Milus (11, two baseball games and two practices a week), Camden Milus (9, one baseball practice, two baseball games, two soccer practices, and a soccer game every Saturday), Bentley Milus (6, one baseball game and practice a week and one soccer game and practice a week), and Maverik Milus (1 ½, eats, cries, sleeps, smiles). Peyton Milus (20, Tony’s son from a previous relationship) does not live in the house, but he was the start of Tony and Tanya learn-
18 July 2022 | Illinois Valley Parent | A NewsTribune Publication
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Meet the Milus family, with this picture featuring the boys and mom together. Front row (left to right): Camden (Cam), Bentley (Benny), and Elizek (Eli). Back row: Domenic Richey (Dom), Peyton (Pey), Maverik (Mav), Tanya, and Tony. ing to juggle schedules. “I try to stay as in-tune with Tanya as much I possibly can. I have a calendar at work that I put all of my sales on – anything we sell goes on it with the customer’s name – but also, I have to fit all the kids’ schedules in the calendar’s little square,” said Tony, who is 36 and a 2004 Mendota graduate. “That means their baseball, soccer, practices, and what Domenic has going on because he is now in driver’s education every morning. I do everything I can to stay as well organized as I can and not forget something. But I’m a man, and we forget almost everything. Tanya has to remind me about a lot of things. Tony admits he’s a work in progress when it comes to juggling an intense family schedule. “She has always been 100 percent about our kids. I’ve had to work on that. I’m one of those who on my free time, I want to do other things. I’ve really scaled that back and taken a bigger approach to actually doing dad
