The work, family balancing act

Wed., May 30, 2007

Metro Services The Spokesman-Review

Each year it seems workers face more stress than the previous year. For many, the stress is caused by the delicate balance of work and family.

Many parents would do anything to provide for their families. More often than not, those values are reflected in parents’ willingness to take on more responsibilities at work in order to earn a higher salary. However, with increased responsibilities comes an increase in office hours. In the end, parents who work hard for their families often end up doing so at the expense of the relationships they have with those very family members.

For parents struggling with the balance of work and family, there are steps that can help create a more equal balance:

“Cut down on overtime. While you might view overtime as something that’s essential to your career, it’s important to look at the toll it might be taking on your family. Making the work week even longer is the commute many people face which can turn a 10-hour day (including overtime) into a 12-hour day. Working less overtime and keeping your work week within the 45-hour range is a good way to decrease the conflicts between work and family.

“Maintain a life of your own. Many parents might feel the rigors of work and family leave no time for a life of their own. Tensions within a family tend to grow if both children and parents have limited social lives or are regularly sacrificing all of their hobbies and interests. Keeping healthy relationships with friends and coworkers can lead to a better home life.

“Take advantage of flex time. Flex time has proven to be a boon to employee satisfaction, parents especially. Parents can, and should, choose to spend more time with their children before heading into work, or make a greater effort to be there for after-school activities if possible.

“Know your roles. Parents play many roles, from husband or wife to mom or dad to boss or coworker. Know the roles you play and, more importantly, which are the most important to you. This should help guide you when it comes time to make the difficult decisions.

“Separate work from home and vice versa. When you spend time with family, don’t let work interfere. Similarly, spending your time at work working and minimizing personal distractions will help you get more done in less time, and lead to more family time.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.