Tips for Balancing Work and Family Life

Balancing one's work and family life can be challenging for many of us. Hopefully, these tips will help:

1. Call your family from work. When I did this, I felt more connected, and the day went by faster.

2. Bring pictures of your children to work. I went back to work when my children were young. Looking at their pictures was comforting.

3. Don't burden your family with problems about work. When I did that, it did not go over very well. Focus on your family and show an interest in them when you are not working.

4. Likewise, don't burden your coworkers and bosses with grievances about your family. It's normal to vent a little bit about that, but don't overdo it There is only so much your coworkers want to hear, and your family wouldn't appreciate being talked about. Now, if you have a serious problem, such as trying to get out of an abusive relationship, that's another matter.

5. Each morning, as you get up and get ready for work, spend as much time with your spouse and children as possible. I know a busy lawyer, who does this. He makes the most out of each morning with his family.

6. On one of your days off, have "date night" for just you and your spouse. It may be a good idea to go to a movie, or go dancing, or do whatever the two of you like to do.

7. Try to spend time with each child individually. I remember going to the art fair separately with each child during the day. That gave me one on one time with each them.

8. If one or more of your children complain about how they don't see you very often, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is time for a long vacation, but it may be a good idea to take a long weekend and use one vacation day for the family, especially when the children are out of school.

9. If you are stressed out about working too many hours, or working too many days in a row, talk to your boss. That's what I did when I got scheduled for 8 days in a row. I traded with someone. Therefore, I was less stressed, and able to enjoy my family more.

10. Arrange a get -together with your coworkers and family. Once when my children and I got together with a coworker and her children, another single mother, I felt more connection between my work and family.

11. Teach your children the importance of a good work ethic and good attendance. That way, your job can be a learning experience for them.

12. Talk to your children in great details about what you do at work. That way, they can learn quite a bit about your job.

13. Have your family meet you for lunch at work, if possible. Someone I used to work with did that. Also, when my mother shopped at the store I worked at, it put me in a positive frame of mind.

14. Don't let yourself get too stressed about balancing your work and family life. No one can balance this perfectly. Just do the best you can.