Balancing Work and Family
Read a range of expert opinions and get Babble's take
by The Babble Staff
November 30, 2006
Balancing Work and Family
THE BABBLE TAKE
One article on Salon.com points out that when people talk of working parents, the word "parent" tends to be code for "mother." This carries over to much of the advice available on balancing work and family. Most articles seem to focus on the mother, though presumably fathers also need to balance family and work. The bulk of these articles come in handy list formats — no time-wasting there. One tip applies a successful workplace strategy to parenting: delegate to kids, to your spouse, and hire help if you can afford it. Other tips are basic variations on pre-planning and multitasking, such as laying out clothes for your kids the night before or using your commute for teleconferencing. These tips seem less than comforting, as they essentially point out ways in which parents who are no doubt already juggling several tasks at once can do more of the same. One less stressful tip is to go old-fashioned and maintain a day of rest each week. Those who suggest this say there's payoff in terms of family time and recharged batteries. Many may find consolation in a study that emphasizes that the quality of family life matters more than the quantity of time you spend with your kids.
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iVillage
"Wondering how to create a better morning routine, stay involved in your child's life while you're at work or make the most of your evenings at home? Get tried-and-true advice on ways to juggle work and family from other working moms."
...read the full article
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Blue Suit Mom
"Forget the Marines: if you're a working mother, you're the one who does more before the sun comes up than most people do all day. Getting the kids up, dressed and fed, finding lost items, packing lunches and getting everyone to school on time can feel like a full-time job in itself."
...read the full article
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BBC Health
"When you become a parent the issue of work is no longer as simple as it used to be. New responsibilities will be on the agenda — and you'll need to give considerable thought to how you adapt to this change in your lifestyle."
...read the full article
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About.com
"This article is the second in a series about women and men who are facing a career crossroads — starting a family. It focuses on those families in which both parents continue to work outside the home while raising a family."
...read the full article
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Salon.com
"'Isn't it odd,' sociologist Stephanie Coontz observes sarcastically in her new book, The Way We Really Are, 'how quickly a discussion of working parents becomes an indictment of Mommy?'"
...read the full article
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