Are You a Working Mom or Dad?
25 Tips to Balance Work and Family
For the Happiest Home on the Planet

25 Tips for Working Moms and Dads

1. Wrap an extra set of keys, house key and car key, in a plastic bag and hide it outside in the yard, or leave it with a neighbor. A time will come when you or the children will be glad you thought ahead. Also keep another set of keys at the office, for just those emergencies you never expected.
   
   
2. If your child isn’t ready for sleep at bedtime, get a special, relaxing, soothing CD. Play the music only at bedtime, when it’s time to settle down. The music will not only soothe your child into dreamland, but it will become a signal to your child that bedtime is near.

   There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. If you must take your child to the office sometimes, store a package of play toys at the office to amuse your child. Include a blanket and pillow for naps, and a non-perishable snack.
   
   
4. Teach your children about money. For their weekly allowance, use a bank with three sections. One section is marked “Spending.” One section is marked “Saving,” saving for big ticket items, like a bike or a cell phone. And the third section is marked “Invest.”
   
   
5. Teach your children about charity. Introduce them to local charities that interest them. Let them decide to volunteer or to contribute from their savings.
   
   
6. Learn to be selfish with your own time. Your spouse, your children and your job have first and best claim to your time. When everyone else wants your help and there is not enough of you to go around, practice saying No.
   
   
7. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Just as you delegate at work, delegate your housework, too. Use a weekly cleaning service to reduce the stress of housekeeping. Have a video delivered by mail for family movie night. Ask the dry cleaner to pick up at your home. Purchase gifts online.
   
   
8. Set a schedule for returning emails and phone calls, so that you can get some relief from these interruptions.
   
   
9. Make time for reading a storybook together. If you’re bored with Dr. Seuss, try some of the children’s classics that are new to you, like Wind in the Willow, The Bobbsey Twins, Anne of Green Gables, Tom Swift, Treasure Island, Gulliver’s Travels, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Peter Pan, The Chronicles of Narnia, the Horatio Alger series and The Wizard of Oz. Children always remember the times Mom and Dad read to them.
   
   
10. Keep family and work dates on one appointment book, so you don't miss the big game or the school play.
    
    
11. If your morning schedule is too hectic, pack lunches for everyone the night before. In the evening, remind your children to lay out their school clothes for the next day.
    
    
12. Set up three laundry hampers, for lights, darks and towels. Put signs or pictures on each hamper, so the kids can sort their own dirty laundry. You’ll be able to throw a batch of laundry in the washer as you walk out the door in the morning.

    It is never too late to have a happy childhood. – Tom Robbins

13. Put your vitamins on the counter near your coffeemaker. You will remember to take them in the morning.
    
    
14. Place an Errand Box near the garage door. Use it for dry cleaning, library books, store returns and outgoing mail so you can combine these errands in one trip.
    
    
15. If you travel often for business, keep a travel bag always packed with medicines, extra glasses, toothbrush and personal items. You’ll be more relaxed as you get ready for the trip.
    
    
16. Have raw vegetables and fresh fruit on hand for healthy snacks.
    
    
17. Keep a lint roller in the car, along with shoe polish, nail file, and something useful to read. If you’re ever stuck in a traffic jam, the time won’t be completely wasted.
    
    
18. Store cleaning supplies in each bathroom. You’ll be more likely to do a spot of cleaning when time allows.
    
    
19. Set a good example for the children by your actions in the community. Use your seatbelt, give blood and take an interest in local elections. Children will listen when you discuss important issues around the dinner table.
    
    
20. Make a chore list for and with the children. Place stickers beside completed chores, and stars when they’ve done exceptional work.
    
    
21. Put together a care package for the car. When you chauffeur the kids to school and activities, have on hand wet-wipes, towels, a surprise toy, and a snack.
    
    
22. Set up a car-pooling arrangement with a friend or neighbor. It will save time for both of you, and in an unexpected emergency you’ll have someone to fall back on.
    
    
23. Play a game when it’s time to pick up toys and clutter around the house. Give each child a basket, and set the timer for five minutes. The child who picks up the most wins a small prize.
    
    
24. If there’s not enough time to cook dinner when you get home from work, pre-cook something the night before. When you cook, make enough for two meals, and freeze a meal for another day. Make homemade TV dinners and freeze them in leftover trays.
    
    
25. For spur-of-the-moment family activities, try these:
    • throw a Frisbee together
    • string popcorn to feed the birds
    • hike to the park
    • play soccer in the backyard
    • look for fireflies and unusual bugs
    • pick apples at a nearby farm
    • play a board game
    • record a video of your family karaoke
    • tell stories in the dark
    • put on a play
    • picnic on the floor in the living room
    • start a craft project
    • visit a farmer's market
    • teach the children a skill like sewing, carpentry or gardening
    • have a treasure hunt
    • make smores

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