Work-Life Balance: Tips for Working Parents

No doubt about it, raising a family is a full-time job in itself. How is it possible to have a career while maintaining a fully functioning home in which to raise a good family? Everyone agrees that it’s a very difficult task, but there are a number of things working professionals can do to lighten the load.


The first half of this process involves working with your employer to see how flexible they’re willing to be with your schedule. Many employers have what are called “core hours.” These are the hours during the day when you must be at work, such as between 10 am and 4 pm. These “core hours” allow working parents to be productive employees while still sharing the responsibilities of getting the kids on and off the bus. This way one parent can go in late and another can leave work early. Another option is talking to your boss about working from home one or two days a week. Modern technology allows us to be at home while still connected to our employer’s computer network. We can receive e-mails and have access to all the same files we do at the office, but we get the flexibility of not having to spend all the time commuting or running around.


The second half of the responsibility needs to come from within the family. What chores can the kids do? Are your kids old enough to start dinner? Can they clean the bathroom or take out the trash? Even toddlers can be taught to put their shoes away in the closet. If both parents are working to support the family, then the kids should be taught to help support the parents. For other families, perhaps the hirng of a part-time baby sitter would make sense. This could be someone who gets the kids off the bus; gets dinner started, and can help maintain a sense of order around the house when parents can’t be around