Tell your employer what you can do and what you can't do. Make sure that you understand the requirements of the job before you accept the position. For example, many working parents limit their business travel or turn down career opportunities that require extensive travel. Other parents avoid positions that require weekend hours or mandatory overtime. The responsibility for your life is yours.

Fax machines, cell phones, palm pilots and lap top computers are all great tools that can help you manage your career and your family. A few months ago, I broke down and bought my kids cell phones. They were constantly borrowing mine. Now I can reach them whenever I need to and they can reach me. You can also communicate with most of your kid's teachers via e-mail. Robert, from Johnson & Johnson, uses the instant messenger to communicate with his family while he is travelling. When he visits Europe on business, he finds cyber cafes with web cams. "This has been a lot of fun and my kids look forward to it when I travel. " You can also invest in a digital camera and/or camera phone and send daily photo updates to the family.