Juggling work and family can often seem overwhelming. Me as a mother of one daughter and a guardian of my niece, I never lost my enthusiasm for helping the children over life’s rough spots.
1. Learn to compartmentalize meaning when you work, be there, and when you are at home, be home.
2. Prepare yourself for separating each day. Then prepare the child. Accompany him or her to a caregiver or a babysitter.
3. Allow yourself to grieve about leaving your baby. It will help you find the best substitute care, and you’ll leave the child with a passionate parting.
4. Let yourself feel guilty. Cause guilt is a powerful source for finding solutions.
5. Find others to share your stress. Peer or family resource group.
6. Include your spouse in the work of the family.
7. Face the reality of working and caring. No super mommy or super baby fantasies!
8. Learn to save energy for the work place to be ready when you get home.
9. Investigate all the options available in your workplace. On-site or nearby day care, share job options, flexible time arrangement, and sick leave if your child is sick.
10. Plan for children to fall apart when you arrive home from work. They’ve saved up their strongest feelings all day.
11. Gather the entire family when you walk in. Sit in a big couch or rocking chair until everyone is close again. When children squirm to get down you can turn to chores or housework.
12. Take children as long as you do chores. Teach them to help with the housework, and give those cheers and approval when they do.
13. Each parent should have special time alone with children each week. Even an hour or two will do.
14. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed with stress. Instead enjoy the pleasures of solving problems together. You can establish a pattern of working as a team.

my niece sitting, and my daughter peeking: