Creating a Balance Between Work and Children

The balance between home and work is often a thin line easily crossed and often broken; the act of balancing work and children is a tight rope act that requires concentration and effort to pull off. The stress associated with working long hours takes it toll even without children. Once children enter the picture even two parent families find that the balance is difficult to achieve at times. It is possible to find a balance that works for you where in a two or single parent home.

Those that work a set schedule find it easiest to create this balance while those that work odd and flexible shifts sometimes have difficulty. The morning routine for those balancing children going to school and daycare can be somewhat daunting at first. While you used to get yourself dressed and head out the door now you have to get children that are not always cooperative out the door.

When you begin working with small children in the home you will find that you have to get up earlier than you did before. By getting up earlier you will have the time to get yourself ready for the day before you begin trying to get the kids out of bed. You can get dressed for work and even have that first cup of morning coffee without anyone yelling mommy. Once you have yourself ready and have made sure that you have everything for your work day you can begin the tasks of getting the kids up and ready.

When one of your children is an infant you will often find that you want to get everything ready for them prior to getting them out of bed and feeding them. Now you can get the older children up and sit down to breakfast with them as you make sure they all have what they need for their school day to begin. Having the kids help put the morning dishes away will help to relieve a little stress.

Now everyone is where they need to be and you are ready for the work day. Making sure to get everything that has to done completed prior to leaving for the day will take organization. There is always the possibility of having to work late and things coming up that require immediate attention when it comes to your children.

Getting children involved in after school programs or putting them in a childcare facility that picks them up from school each day is a great way to ensure that your children have somewhere safe to be in the event that you work late. A support system of family and friends where each of you take turns picking the children up from activities will help to ensure that they are able to participate while you manage to work.

In two parent homes you have to split the responsibility to create a balance between work and children. Homework has to be done, dinner eaten and baths gotten. Try having the kids do there homework at the kitchen table every afternoon with the television off. This way if you have to you can help them while dinner is being prepared. (When it begins to get dark out earlier you can check and see how much homework they have and if it's possible for them to spend sometime outside prior to completing it.)

Whenever possible try to have dinner at the same time each night to create a routine that you are used to. Baths and bedtimes should be as close to the same time each night as they possibly can as well. When it comes to special events at school try and get those schedules in advance to see if your schedule can be adjusted or if you can work late a day or two in order to get off earlier that day.

Patience is the main thing in balancing work and children. Things are going to come up and children are going to be home sick at times. Having a back up person in the event they get sick will cut down on the amount of time that is missed from work. Getting the entire family involved will make the balancing act a lot easier as well.