Mary Segers
BS, Psychology; MSW
Home Time Management and Parenting Expert

Mary Segers

Mary Segers began her journey toward becoming a time management expert in 1983 with the arrival of her first child. Within 6 years she was parent of her own 3 as well as to a step-daughter who lived with her full-time.

During this time she was a full-time college student with mediocre grades. She left college one semester shy of her junior year. (Note: According to Mary...expert home time management comes one of two ways: (1) By experience...which she was getting but didn't quite have yet, or (2) By learning from someone who's already been-there done-that and can/will teach them).

Through the years following a divorce (and another child) she had to learn to balance life as a single mom of 4 working full-time. This is when Mary enrolled in the school of hard knocks (in an accelerated program).

Mary was determined that her children live as normal of a life as possible...to be able to participate in activities just as children of two-parent homes did. This required that they pitch in and help take some of the load off of her.

It was a good thing, then, that from the age of 4 or so, Mary had taught her children to help around the house and, furthermore, had expected them to use that knowledge. Because of so much help around the house Mary's children were able to participate in many activities: football, cheerleading, band, drama, weightlifting, taekwondo, swimming, tennis, soccer, hockey, Jr. roller derby, basketball, dances, Jr. Deputies, and probably one or two more that she missed.

The point is that Mary's children were able to have a pretty normal life even though they were being raised in a single parent home. Mary was able to take them to practices, pick them up, go to meets and games because the children took much of the daily burdens off of her.

For instance, beginning around the age of 4 Mary taught the children to fold and put up their own laundry. From the age of 8 or so they washed and dried them too. Each began to be responsible for cleaning the bathroom at about the age of 5.

Dinner was started by anyone who was home...whether that was by Mary or one of the kids (in the teens).

Mary perfected the art of simplifying menus/cooking to be most efficient. She created menus based on sales and what was going on during the next week. She utilized cooking ahead, leftovers, and freezing. By doing so, Mary created a life free from what she laughingly refers to as "mealtime madness".

Following many years of working as an Estimator/Project Manager in construction, Mary made two major life changes...she began unschooling her two youngest children and she decided to return to college. Either of those would be a serious test of time management skills but the two of them together...again...ramped up her time management efforts even more so.

Having 2 kids on permanent vacation began in January and Mary returned to college in May so she had a few month's adjustment. Oh, and she was also working part-time at 2 jobs.

Mary entered her junior year of college with a determination to succeed...in other words, the battle was already won. In spite of severe ADD and memory problems (an unfortunate side-effect of her seizure-control medication) Mary excelled in college. She learned coping techniques that included study aids such as mnemonics as well as the ability to...and the importance of...controlling her study environment.

She graduated in 2005 with her BS in Psychology with a 3.98/4.0 GPA and decided to go further and earn her MSW (2009, 3.88/4.0).

Mary attributes her success in college and graduate school...in large part...to her effective Home Time Management skills. If she hadn't been careful to make time to study she knows college life would not have been as manageable as it was. It would not only have been more rushed, it would have...naturally...been more stressed.

Following graduation Mary felt her life's mission was to help others...especially nontraditional students like herself...to not only survive through their years in college but also to thrive.

To accomplish that, Mary has created a variety of programs to teach the very skills that she has (sometimes painfully) learned through the years. These programs include: A Weekly Coaching Program, A Bi-Monthly Coaching Program, an 11 Week Continuity Program, a Home Study Course, a 6 Week Course on Time Management and Relationships, a 7 Week Course on Time Management in the Home, a 3 Week Mini Relationship Course, and single courses on Time Management and: Your Marriage, Kids, Laundry, Housework, Cooking, and Menus.

Mary created these programs with varying amounts of help such as group coaching calls and no-frills homework assignments to ensure success.