Balancing an elite sports broadcasting career with family life is a constant tug-of-war. For ESPN host Laura Rutledge, coming home from a long studio broadcast meant walking straight into a referee role. Her six-year-old daughter, Reese, and three-year-old son, Jack, were constantly competing for her attention, leaving both kids frustrated and angry over her packed work schedule.

At 37, Rutledge is at the top of her game in American sports media, covering everything from live college sidelines to daily NFL studio shows. But behind the scenes, managing high-stakes broadcasts alongside two young children at home was taking a heavy emotional toll. Opening up in a recent video with iMOM, a family outreach program run by the non-profit Family First, Rutledge admitted the situation at home had hit a tipping point.

“My kids were mad at me, and I was upset and overwhelmed about it and trying to figure out what was the best way to solve this problem,” Rutledge revealed. “Here’s the backstory. Every time I was coming home from work or even if I had just been home all day, both Reece and Jack were kind of fighting for my attention, and I felt like I couldn’t give enough of myself, which was really upsetting to me.”

To fix the tension, Rutledge introduced a simple parenting rule called “Special Time.” The concept gives each child ten minutes of totally uninterrupted, one-on-one attention every day, completely free from work calls or mobile phones.

“I wanted to share with you guys just in case it could be helpful to somebody else. We’re calling it special time,” Rutledge shared. “Basically, special time is ten minutes of uninterrupted time, no phones, nothing else to distract with, with each kid individually.”

Under this setup, Reese and Jack get to choose whatever activity they want to do with their mother for those ten minutes. While a ten-minute window sounds small on paper, Rutledge noticed an immediate change in her kids’ mood and her own peace of mind. She shared that dedicated, distraction-free time often stretches naturally past ten minutes, giving her kids the focus they were craving.

“We found it to be really rewarding for the kids,” Rutledge revealed. “But also, it’s just great for me because I actually get to spend that time with them one-on-one. And honestly, ten minutes with no distractions is kind of a long time. It ends up being a little longer than ten minutes most of the time.”

Her adjustments went beyond daily routine fixes. Heading into the 2026 season, ESPN announced that Rutledge would step away from hosting duties on SEC Nation after more than ten years on the show. The move allows her to focus on her expanding NFL workload, including hosting NFL Live and taking on major assignments for ESPN’s Super Bowl coverage.

Stepping back from a decade-long role was tough, but streamlining her work travel helped create room for her family. As Rutledge pointed out, working-parent guilt never fully disappears, but setting clear boundaries at home makes the balancing act manageable.