Tips to Balance Work and Family 

The joys of parenthood are expanded when you can strike a healthy balance between your work and family life.  Fathers should also speak with their employer to find out about family leave during your wife's pregnancy and after your child is born.  Any company with more than 50 employees is required to abide by the Family Leave Act.  In addition your employer may be willing to adjust your schedule to compressed work weeks (four 10 hour days), alternate shift start times, temporary part-time, or a work-at-home arrangement. 

Almost half of working dads don't take advantage of flexible work arrangements available to them. If you don't ask you won't know your options! And parents remember, if you manage other people, take a look at what you are doing to help them be better parents. 

Most parents want to enjoy time with their children and develop a strong relationship with them when they are young.  However finding the right balance can be a challenge.  Here are a few tips:

1. Start by talking to your partner about what type of parents you want to be and what is important to you.  Jot down a list so when you need to make decisions about your time you can refer back to it.
2. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't place too much importance on things that don't matter anymore with your new role as a parent(s).
3. Be conscientious about how you spend your time and learn to say "no" to things that are not on your priority list. 
4. Increase your flexibility and ability to adapt to the new situation.  Mothers should recognize that child birth takes at least 6 weeks to recover from.  Fathers need to expect that meeting the needs of your family means getting involved in the new daily routines with the baby and home management right away.        
5. Talk to your friends about how they manage, they may have ideas that you can adjust to fit your needs.
6. Get organized and create routines. Sit down with your partner and write out a schedule for daily activities.  When you both are on the same page (about the baby care, housework, mealtimes, etc.) you don't waste time trying to figure out what's happening next.  Agree where items used daily are going to be kept so you don't waste time (and aggravation) searching for them.
7. Rearrange your work schedule, not your family's time.  For work projects, don't steal hours from your family, do your best to leave by 5pm (you may need to sacrifice sleep and go in to work early or work at home after others' bedtimes).
8. If you take turns picking up your child from your daycare arrangement, one of you can take the long way home and use the time to transition toward your family's needs.  Think of ways you can fully engage as a parent and spouse.   Check with your partner to see if picking up a healthy meal or groceries on the way home would be helpful.
9. Leave work at work (whenever possible).  Turn off your gear (laptops/ipads) and stop reading work emails at home so you can give your family your full attention.  If something at work is important, let your employer know to reach you by phone.
10. Accept help - there's no shame in accepting or asking for help.  Most family and friends are thrilled to lend a hand, so let them! 

Finding Fun Things To Do 

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