How to Balance Work and Family

June 13, 2010, By William Browning 0 comments

In today's world, a family man is sometimes called upon to do it all. Balancing work, marriage and kids are all tricks of the trade that some of us take a lifetime to master. But the irony is that you don't have to live a lifetime of struggle to make it work. Men can take steps as soon as they say "I do" to ease the transition from Mr. Serious to Mr. Husband when it comes to mixing work with a healthy marriage.

Priorities

Before you even get married, you both probably have a good idea of each other's dreams, desires and life goals. Marriage should edify both of you, at the same time lending to your happiness. It should come as no surprise that somewhere in the mix of emotional security, family life and financial goals that work will be an issue somewhere in your marriage.

Remember that finances, while important to your lifelong commitment, are not the crux of why you chose to get married in the first place. If you feel like your job is taking you away from your wife too often, then maybe it's time to prioritize what you both really want. Is having that $500,000 house as important as keeping your wife happy?

There are many ways to balance home and work better. Instead of taking that promotion, try doing some kind of work at home. Whether you love fixing cars and reselling them, breeding pug puppies or working online, there are many things you can do at home. Your wife gets to see you more often and you still make money. Even your current work situation might be adapted so you can do some work at home.

Kids

If you can't be there at all of your kids' events for school, at least be there for the major ones. Soccer games, choir concerts and dance recitals are all important events to your children because they work hard and they want you there supporting them. If you can't be there for 10 soccer games during the season, you should at least promise to be there for the first and last game.

Make time ahead of time for your children. Yes, things do come up and you will probably not be perfect. When it happens that work gets in the way of your children, make it up to them. The best way to do this is to be spontaneous. When I missed my son's kindergarten graduation, the very next week I took him to the park in the middle of the day and we all had family time, even though usually I was at work during that time.

Much like your family compromises with your work schedule, your boss should also be willing to work with you. You've proven time and again that you are loyal to your boss; your boss should cut you a break every now and then, too. No one's marriage or work is perfect. Remember that nothing is set in stone; many things in your life are negotiable. Finding the happy medium is the best way to enjoy more of your wife and family more of the time.

Resources

Though you might feel that it is you against the world sometimes, you don't have to tackle your work-life-balance challenge alone. The Mayo Clinic provides several tips for getting on top of this juggling act, including letting go of your perfectionist standards (go on, leave the bed unmade) and actually keeping a log of what you do in a given week to better identify what tasks are necessary and which ones can be cut.

There is no one way to balance your home life with your career, but simply devoting some thought to your spouse and children who are so important to your life can reap huge rewards for you over time.