The Art of the Juggling Act: 5 Tips for Working Parents

If there was ever a need for a guide to the art of the work-family juggling act, it’s now. Working parents with children ages five and under account for 68 percent of all couples with young children, and the trend toward employment among couples with young children continues to grow. For instance, according to Statistics Canada, 72 percent of mothers with young children are working, up from 32 percent in 1976 and 59 percent in 1991.

Whether it’s birthdays or holidays, back to school or summer vacation, working parents are on call to juggle their home life and career, to balance the demands of work and to try to spend quality time as a family.

We go to school and learn about a lot of different topics, but we do not go to school to learn about parenting, how to manage our career or how to balance both. Each day I watch working parents try to figure out their juggling act. Here's my advice.

Organize the logistics of life

Over the years, I have learned the importance of managing the logistics of life in a way that allows me to create the space for the things that provide me fulfillment.

Tip #1. Understand that perfection is not the goal. Give yourself a break as we are all “works in progress”

For many of us, there is that niggling feeling that we should be striving for perfection at home and at work. We need to let this expectation go, as it will run us into the ground.

Try to give yourself the grace to know that you are doing the best you can, and take the pressure off yourself to strive for perfection.

Tip #2. Set and protect your boundaries so you can be present when you are with your children

Reflect on what you want your boundaries to be and how to clearly define them for yourself. The reality is that, if you do not draw boundaries for yourself, then no one will. If you don’t define and communicate your boundaries to those who need to know, then they won’t be able to respect them.

Tip #3. Learn the power of saying no without giving the reason why

It’s hard to say no, particularly if you are early in your career or when starting a new role and you are trying to establish yourself or in a support role.

There was some guidance I was given late in my career that I wish I’d been given sooner. My colleague said, “Sarah, you don’t need to give me the reason you can’t make it [to]. You just need to say you can’t make it. If you give me a reason, then I am going to make a judgment…and that is not my judgment to make. It is your call.”

This guidance can apply to your social life too. If you’re asked to attend a social engagement and you have a conflict, don’t give a reason why. Just say you have a prior commitment.

Tip #4. Phone a friend. Build your support network and be open to asking for help when you need it

The only way to manage the juggling act is to have the right support network in place to help you along the way.

Many people have extended family who will be able to pitch in when someone needs a ride home from practice or to run an errand. Neighbours and nearby friends are another good resource, and I found that stay-at-home parents can be amazing support when situations that need attention arise during working hours.

Tip #5. Prioritize self-care. Make time for the energy boosts that help you recharge your battery

There are a range of things that you can do to ensure that you stay healthy, starting with prioritizing self-care, which includes getting enough sleep, working out and taking time for yourself, away from your children.

These are not “optional” things that you can put at the bottom of your list. They are “must-dos” to ensure you stay healthy and happy as a working parent.

This is easier said than done. This is essential, however, because your children deserve to have a healthy parent who has the energy to engage with them in a positive way.

My goal in sharing these tips is to pay it forward, to offer what I’ve learned over the past twenty-plus years to help other working parents who are trying to manage their juggling acts on a day-to-day basis—and live life to the fullest.