How do you balance work and family demands?

i am planning to work soon, i have a 4 yr old daughter who is now in kindergarten. i was wondering if you guys could give me some tips on how you balance balance your work and your family's demands. thanks!|||hey,





Thats cute well i dont know i am just 21 yrs old and i dont have a family but i know sometimes it says 'how' in certain "Family" magazines... so maybe u can get one of those in a grocery store or a convenience. Good luk and plz answer mine:





http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As5k9xkZbUtmNiwdMCVz8ujAFQx.;_ylv=3?qid=20100316002457AAKcNt6





God Bless,





-MiMo|||I've been there and done that and there are a couple of fundamental principles which you need to adopt and adhere to:-


Work/life balance basically rests on the 8:8:8 principle - 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep and 8 hours of recreation. Of course its not always possible to achieve this, but it is approximately what you should try to aim for.


You need to be REALLY well organised - not to the point of running your home like an army camp, but strategies like pre-planning your meals in advance, don't go shopping without a list and stick to it, make sure everyone in the family has enough clothing so that you only have to do a major wash once or twice a week, when you purchase new clothes for anyone, try to get ones that are machine-washable and don't need ironing, etc. etc. All these things take a bit of time in the first place, but believe me - they save you heaps at the end of the day.


Put a notice board up in your kitchen and make sure you pin notes, etc. to it and look at it every day - when you know you have a commitment in advance (especially school!), put it up on the board and make sure everyone else in the family is also aware of it.


Make sure everyone in the family shares the load - and yes, that includes your little girl. Assign simple tasks for her to do (like picking up her own toys and putting them away) and reward her with a little pocket money when she does. As she gets older, she can undertake more complicated tasks like making her own bed, washing up the dishes, etc. This also applies to your partner (if you have one) - make sure that when you're at the stove cooking dinner after a long day at work, he/she is not reclining on the lounge waiting for the food to miraculously appear. A good arrangement here is that whoever cooks doesn't have to wash the dishes - and remember, the way you start as a working mum is the way you'll end up. Make sure everyone knows the rules at the outset and don't let them break them. I'm not suggesting here that you become a complete dragon, but be firm and hold you ground when the family wants to make you their slave.


When you do cook, try to make it really count by cooking healthy recipes in large quantities and freezing portions (if you don't have a freezer, it really is a good, long term investment). Not only do you save energy by really utilising your stove/oven, it allows you to produce a meal in a hurry on those inevitable occasions when everything goes haywire - defrost it, steam some fresh vegies and presto! you have a nutritious meal on the table in double-quick time.


The MOST IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind as a working mum is that you need to make time for yourself on a reasonably regular basis - whether this is private time to have a nap or go and get your hair and nails done, make YOU time part of your schedule and don't let anyone talk you out of it - it's really easy to become a complete and total slave to your family - you owe it to yourself (and your family) to not do this.


The 2nd MOST IMPORTANT thing of all to remember is to get your priorities in line and keep them there. Sometimes it really is better to spend time with your daughter (and partner?) instead of vacuuming the floor if you haven't got time to do both. The floor will wait to be vacuumed, but children grow so fast and lost time with her is something you'll never get back.


Last of all, try to stay calm and tranquil no matter what's going down - recognise that even though you are probably a Super-Mum, you are still only human and are allowed to get it wrong occasionally - when the wheels fall off, don't beat yourself up over it ... have a laugh, chill and don't let it get to you.


Remember, at the end of the day, YOU are in control here.