Work/Life Balance

Being a parent is a full-time job, especially when your kids are very young. Naturally, that?s aside from your other full-time job ? the one that actually pays for all those juice packs and ginger snaps. Sometimes the going gets tough and, if you?re a single parent, tougher still.

With so much to do, many people set up a parenting network of family and friends ? people they can count on when their carefully nurtured work/life balance starts to totter. Imagine one of those stressful days when Mom?s out on a business trip and Dad?s trapped in a spiral of interlocking deadlines at the office. In a situation like that, if you get word your little peanut has a fever, you have to act fast.

How do you deal with ?Code Orange? parenting challenges, when you really wish you could be in two places at once? Do you use code words to break through the cell phone static and get specific, commonly used messages across fast? Tell us how your work/life balance gets out of whack and the easy-fix steps you can immediately take to set things right again.

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Comments: 8

Tiffany G. Nov 15, 2007, 10:24pm EST

I am not really sure how to answer this at the moment. I would have to put more thought into this. I will think about it and come back. I am not really sure how I do it. I will pay attention.

Tiffany G. Nov 15, 2007, 10:25pm EST

Oh and THANK YOU SO much for the Ipod Shuffle! Thats my christmas since were on a low budget and have to buy for the kids! Thanks so much I really enjoy your group!

Linda G. Nov 16, 2007, 8:47am EST

My younger son has a congenital heart defect and has had many medical problems over his twelve year. There have been many times when his medical issues have sent our family routine into a cyclone. We live 50 miles from most of our family which makes it hard to lean on them for help. I often worried about my other son that is three years older. I worried that he would be traumatized by the constant disruptions and the fact that his mother had to be away at the hospital at times. Fortunately, I have found that other parents in our neighborhhod an school just step into help when needed. When my older son came down with Chicken Pox at the same time his brother was having heart surgery, my husband was at a loss to cope with a feverish/itchy child. My neighbor, who is a nurse, stepped in and helped, others brought dinner. I think parents in general share a bond and know when another family can use their help.

Roxanne H. Nov 17, 2007, 6:26pm EST

Well, my husband was a night school and one child needed to be at the junior high and the other at grade school the same night. I had no choice but to choose between them, I felt better when I had to make the same choice again and thought it was fair that each child had to miss once. They both were okay with the descision.

Trish A. Nov 17, 2007, 8:41pm EST

It's hard to keep things in balance.

I find that if I'm rushing around and don't have time for good meals my life is out of balance.

Mischelle T. Nov 18, 2007, 3:20pm EST

Wow, Linda, you really have a great network of friends! I too live 50 miles away from my family and most of my friends. Unfortunately my family haven't always been willing to step in and I think it is too much to put on my friends so I just put it in God's hands and my kids' dad and I do what we can. He can usually get off work with short notice, being a teacher it is more difficult for me.

Hollie ~TNR Works~ Dec 4, 2007, 1:05pm EST

I don't know how my sister does it. She has five kids and always seems to find a balance somewhere in between all the chaos.

Mrs Nobles Dec 27, 2007, 12:14pm EST

my family is dead and his is about an hour away. we are right now considering how we are going to create a network of friends/family to help with the kids.

thanks for tossing this topic into the ring.

Work/Life Balance

Comments: 8

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