OCR Text |
Show Jlork, family can be mixed, ; shorter breaks. . . Don't try to be a"super" parent par-ent Don't be too ambitious when planning family time. Planning long trips or t expensive outings ' can wreck the family budget While an occasional special trip is needed, families -can learn to r be self-sufficient self-sufficient in entertaining them-' them-' selves athome. . "r ganized and less stresstuL Children and adults alike become more re-sponsible re-sponsible in their behavior when they know that family supper is ser- . ved at 6 p.m. and that the television ' is turned off at 10:30 p.m.. :;, Assigning each adult and child home chores that are appropriate to. their abilities and talents helpsj create a sense of shared family life" and pride. - . j rTake care of your family's health. Make healthy living a fa-i mily affair. Exercise together, plari' healthy family meals together and . set a 'family, "lights out" time. ' These practices not only help bring - the family together, but' they also . - reduce individual and family ten-' v sion." ..:."', . ..; Some families may even agree to draw up contracts regarding avoid-" v ing drugs, tobacco or certain food. : ! Leave work at the workplace." This is more easily said than done, but working parents can take less 2 Work home by learning to say "noV -to added job duties, delegating responsibilities re-sponsibilities instead of doing ever- ; ything alone and taking fewer or ; laxed family member. ; , v Make a list of life priorities. They help working parents keep their lives in perspective. Consider the different roles you play in life; parent, par-ent, employee, youth club leader, hospital volunteer, friend,; daughter Cjoi .. son,,- sibling; spodse church member and so on. ' '' '. . . - Now rank these in order of their importance in your life. Set goals in life that .will help you keep your priorities in order. For example, if being a parent is ranked number one then one goal may be to spend less time at the office and more time at home. It will be up to you to set and : carry out these goals. Feel ; good about working. Don't apologize " for. working. Working parents serve as good role models for children. Talk to your child about your work duties and the contributions your job makes to society. If possible, take your child r to visit your workplace. , . r77 f Set home schedules and rules. Home schedules and roles ; help working parents keep their lives or- By DENNIS HINKAMP Working parents often are faced with the dilemma of how best to manage their work and family time. To some, the dilemma is over- , whelming and leads to a sense of guilt over being a "bad'l-pwnw Other parents have discovered strategies stra-tegies to manage their time at work and home so that every minute counts. ," The following suggestions can help parents bring about a better balanced act between their work and family lives. These ideas can be" used by two-parent families where both are working, single parents, and two-parent families where one parent works and the other stays at home with the children. " Set aside time, for your children. chil-dren. Some parents may be able to , spend only 30 minutes i day with their child; others can spend hours. Even a small amount of time together each day can go a long way in keeping your relationship , with your child strong. ii 5 - , Engage in quality activities with your child. It is not just the amount of time you spend that matters, mat-ters, but also how you fill the time. Quality activities ? should be viewed not only as fun, but as a time for family members to com- ' municate and share their hopes. Quality activities do not have to be expensive. Gardening, going on a walk; hiking, hik-ing, biking, ice skating, sleigh rid-' rid-' - ing playing an indoor or outdoor . game or a back yard picnic can be . quality time activities that enhance ' the parent-child relationship. Con- : - centra te on activities that everyone enjoys. 1 . Set aside time for your spouse and other adults. Working parents ' need some time alone with other i adults. Otherwise, important re- 1 lationships can be lost Set aside time for yourself, . Work:.- t fzxz'a r.zzi time alone to t ' relax z.J rcf.cct on their lives. The . time ycu spend &Ior.e reading, exer cising and working on a hobby will make you a much happier and re- -' |