When Laura Wright got pregnant, so did Cassie Layne Winslow, the character she plays on the CBS soap Guiding Light. In fact, with both of her pregnancies, she was able to work right up until her due date. "We used strategically-placed pillows to cover me up on the show," she says. "And of course they brought in the camera quite a bit." Off screen, she's mom to Lauren, who's 3 1/2, and John, 17 months. And despite a crazy schedule, Wright manages to balance quality time with her kids and a full-time acting career.

A Typical Day
From the moment she wakes up at around 5 a.m., Wright's involved in her children's days, starting with bedside glasses of milk and (when Lauren lets her) a pre-selected outfit for her daughter to wear. "With little boys, you put them in a shirt and a pair of pants, but with my daughter, I like to pick out her clothes," Wright says.

By 8 a.m. she's out the door, leaving her husband to get the kids dressed and take her daughter to school. "I usually have to sneak out of the house in the morning, or they'll scream for me," Wright says.

As soon as Wright finishes the morning rehearsal, she's on the phone with the live-in nanny to check in on the kids. "I am one of those annoying moms who calls 30 times a day," she says. At first, Wright says she felt guilty about bringing on a full-time nanny to help with the kids. Now she realizes that the extra help allows her to relax more, which is better for everyone. "I always thought, 'my mother raised three kids without help,' but back then raising children was more of a group effort involving grandparents and aunts and uncles," says Wright. "It was actually my husband's idea, and it has been so great for all of us. Even if we all are running errands together, it's helpful just to have an extra pair of arms."

During the day, while Wright is shooting the show, her kids participate in various activities. Her husband, John, works from a home office so he is available to pick Lauren up from school and spend time with them in the morning. Both Lauren and John, who she affectionately calls "Little John," also take swim classes at the YMCA.

Sometimes, though not lately, Wright gets Mondays off, which helps extend the weekend. "It all depends on my storyline as to whether or not I have to work a full five days a week," she says. "The hours vary, too, which is why the nanny is necessary. Some nights I'm off at 6; other days we work past midnight."

Taking Time Off
The extra day off is also helpful since on most weekends the family travels to Pennsylvania where they have their second home, a 35-year-old log cabin. Set on 12 acres, the family's weekends are usually spent doing outdoor activities such as stocking the birdfeeders, playing in the gardens and taking nature walks. They also have a hot tub, which they keep at a kid-friendly temperature. "This is great for Lauren and John because it's a manageable size, and they can sort of walk around it and hold on," she says. The Pennsylvania property is also where her husband keeps his bees, which he raises as a hobby and to make honey. "We drink a lot of tea; it's great with John's honey," Wright says. Every Sunday, the whole family heads to Judy's Friendly Garden, a little restaurant in town, for brunch. "It's a good way to see people and get the kids used to being in restaurants," she says.

When traveling with her two young children, Wright has no qualms about taking advantage of the latest in-car technology, which means videos for the kids. "I have heard some mothers say 'I can't believe you do that,' but really, what's the point of everyone being miserable on a road trip if you can solve the problem with a video they love to watch?" says Wright.

Back in New Jersey, where the family resides during the week, Wright spends most of her free time with her family. On her days off, she makes the kids' breakfast, runs errands and does fun things at home with her children, such as baking cookies and, in her son's case, playing with balls and trucks. "He's only 17 months, but I swear the affinity for balls and things with wheels is inborn," she says. "It's a very normal life when I'm not working."

Though her husband isn't involved in show business (he's an architect), he accompanies Wright to events like any other husband, except for this year's Daytime Emmy Awards, which he chose not to attend. "This sort of thing isn't fun for him because I am all about the socializing, and I am running around the whole time talking to people," says Wright. "He did join me later for the after-ceremony parties, which is the most fun part anyway."

Keeping Fit
For exercise, Wright takes classes in Tae Kwon Do and also does yoga to help keep her looking and feeling fit. While pregnant with her son, she did Tae-Bo for exercise up until her 7th month. "At 7 months, I realized that I was just too pregnant to be doing the requirements for Tae-Bo," she says. She says she found it easier to lose the weight after her second pregnancy because she didn't gain as much the second time around. "Luckily for me, I had both of my children around the holidays so I had the benefit of bulky sweaters to help ease gracefully back into my normal size."

Now, she works out whenever she can, both at work and at home. "I feel pretty good, but like most women, I'd like to lose 5 pounds," she says. On her days off, she tries to fit in time for a Tae Kwon Do class. Though her employer offers in-studio classes, which she has attended on occasion, she chooses to do her yoga in her dressing room. She swears by Bryan Kest's Power Yoga videos. "Crystal Chappell, who plays Olivia Spencer Lewis on the show, got me into the yoga tapes, and I just love them," she says. "The best thing is that the video instructor explains that yoga is about your own personal journey that you can take at your own pace." She admits that at first she overdid it a little with the advanced tape. "But that was OK because the instructor provides easier options throughout the workout if you are trying to do too much," she says.

Finding the right balance between work and family is something that requires constant attention, says Wright. This means going out on dates with her husband and not getting so wrapped up in the children that you forget to spend time alone as adults. Says Wright, "I'm still trying to get it just right, but I've realized that it's really important to cultivate your marriage and take time just for you as a couple."

This interview was conducted in 2001. Wright's daughter, Lauren, was born on November 16, 1998, and her son, John, on December 20, 2000.