Juggling Work Life & Home Life

It’s tough managing your time when you’re working and parenting. It’s tough keeping everything going and achieve some balance. Here are a few ways to make your life easier and happier!

• Let go of guilt. Besides providing for your family, you are also nurturing your self by working on a career. Reaching goals and feeling validation outside of the home is important.
• Talk to your boss. Communicate your needs to keep your family on track. More and more workplaces embrace creativity with job-sharing, working from home or flex-scheduling.
• Make sure you have dependable child care for the 9:00am-5:00pm work hours, as well as evening back-up care options in place should you have to work late, travel, or pull an extra shift.
• Keep your relationship with your spouse enriched with date nights, social engagements and quality conversation.
• Organize your day the night before. That means packing lunches, showering, choosing clothing and setting school projects next to the door so they are not forgotten.
• Stay in touch with the kids. Take advantage of technology. It’s easy to Facetime or text with your older children. In addition, some preschools now offer apps that allow you to communicate with your child’s teacher throughout the day so you can ask them relevant questions at pickup, and chat with your child about their day on the ride home. If you’re on a business trip be sure to download Skype to your laptop for a check in or tuck-in at bedtime.
• Create special activities for the entire family to look forward to. Mark them prominently on the calendar—and whatever you do, follow through with them!
• Did I mention the calendar? Of course, I did! Be sure you establish a family calendar for the entire clan to reference when it comes to games, project due dates and obligations. Color code each person so it’s easy to see who has what going on and when.
• You don’t have to be a gym addict—just make sure that you get up and walk around at work. Walk the dog, power walk the grocery store or take a class to keep your body in shape. You’ll manage stress much better—we promise.
• Two words. Me time. I don’t care if it means locking yourself in the bathroom for a bubble bath, reading a book (uninterrupted) in a cozy spot, a spa day or a Girl’s Weekend. Do it. You can’t take great care of your family without taking care of yourself! There, I’ve given you permission.

When it comes to managing family life, Kids Quest is a wonderful way to accomplish some of these suggestions. Back up care? We’ve got you. Date night? Plan it, we’ll take the kids. Stumped for a special activity? Take the family and play together at Cyber Quest. Me time? We’ll take the kids while you take in a movie or enjoy a spa service. At Kids Quest we help families work.