Balancing Work and Family

Work and Family – Why is it so hard to find the right balance?  so many people have difficulty balancing work and family.

As a working mother trying to find the balance between work and family is proving to be very difficult at the moment. The easy solution right now would be to give up work and focus solely on my family…….. But is that what I really want?

I really enjoy my job…… (Well most of it) and love being a part of the work force contributing where I can. It keeps my brain stimulated, allows me to get dressed up every now and then and interact with other adults on a regular basis.

I have a flexible work environment which definitely has its benefits. It allows me to be a part of my children’s life whenever they need me but it also means it is difficult to switch on and off when needed. Things pop up at work which need to be dealt with but my baby needs my attention at the same time, or my daughters need collecting from school and taken to their after school sports…… Which one takes priority? I know my family must always take priority and 99% of the time they do, however then the work load creeps up and has an over whelming effect on me as deadlines are missed and colleagues are left waiting.

So here we are back at the start……. Why is it so hard to find the balance? I really think the answer is simple….. Because life is full of the ‘unknown’ and the unknown always brings with it many challenges.

I came across a fantastic manifesto the other day on the smile collective website about families balancing work and family manifesto

I have printed it off and stuck it to my notice board to remind myself when the balance isn’t quite right what’s important.