12 tips for your work life balance and quality family time with your spouse and children

People are successful, when they have the flexibility to meet the demands of their professional lives and accomplish personal goals outside their offices.True work-life balance is dynamic and needs conscious actions after identifying your priorities. There is no one formula that works for all people at all times.

If you are looking to achieve better work-life balance, one place you can start is by being clear about your first priorities in life and setting healthy and effective boundaries.

1. Family holidays in a relaxed environment for working parents is a must: People coming from traditional agricultural families or first white-collar generation woould not realise this easily. Given half a chance, they packup for their native place or to visit their relatives and families, especially for the working class in upcoming metropolitan cities in Asian countries like India, Japan and China.This is needed for your duties and obligations, however maynot work well as a quality time and justice for your spouse and children. Do plan kid friendly family holidays where you could unwind out of ALL responsibilities, play with children and rejuvenate your intimacy with the partner. Every quarter you could do this in a small way over weekends and mandatorily once in a year at a good place. Do allocate budget for this and this will go a long way in work life balance. Entire family will comeback relaxed, fresh with ideas and a supportive family bond, which will help you in your work :)
2. Daily evening family prayer time, irrespective of your religion and faith: It is a simple truth that the family who eats and pray together, will stay together.I had observed this strongly studying across different generation and type of family with varied religions. Ensure that this prayer time is short and meaningful,to keep interest and to have it regular.You could also utilise this time to hear the major activities, issues and achievements of family members as well as children's demonstration of talent and acquired skills like dance, recitation etc. 
3. All family members eat together, possibly every day or atleast in a week:Quality time,which is a must to be prioritised.Even small kids can help set the table, clear dishes, or take out the trash cans to the curb.A great time, to pass on the manners, values, healthy lifestyle, family recipes and traditions.
4. Involve in family games and play together: Children learn from you as well as from the games on how to take life head on in a sportive fashion. Heard of "all for one and one for all" as said for "we're family!"? Encourage your kids to support each other's activities and endeavors.
5. Cut the TV time and plan it for kids and adults alike: Many parents find TV as an easy option to get the troublesome kids away for a while. Long TV times will affect the child's concentration. You will be surprised to find the quality time available for family, once a clear schedule for TV time is agreed.
6. Cut the Games, Internet Browsing and Work at home time: Be it the addictive social networking sites or games for children as well as adults. It will make you healthy as well as have a suitable lifestyle.
7. Assign family responsibilities to all members: If everyone in the family is participating in some type of activity, then general household chores may be harder to get accomplished due to lack of time.Have a family meeting and explain that in order to do these enrichment activities/sports/music, everyone will have to pitch in to make sure the clothes still get washes, dishes done, and table cleared. If you set expectations up front, any grumbling will be minimized.
8. Plan and create a family time say family party or family night: You can create memories to last a lifetime. Whether it's eatout together movie night, take-out night , game night, or a family walk night, the key is that a night each week is designated for together time. Relax...and talk with each other! You might be surprised the things you learn from your kids on your special night. Apart from impromptu romps with your spouse, do agree on a mutually convenient time for intimacy. This will help especially the husbands, if not the wife to gratify their personal and sexual needs on a regular fashion.
9. Plan and invite your child's friends home for a party: Celebrate occassions like birthday, awards, school functions etc with your child's friends. You will have maximum memorable time as well getting to know your childrens friends and their attitude and behaviour.Letting kids "hang out" at your place gives you valuable insight into what interests and motivates your own child as well as understanding the "crowd" he or she is associating with. For younger kids, an hour or two with a friend can teach sharing, responsibility, taking turns, and other traits through actual learning and experiences.
10. Think your priorities before making commitments for extra activities: More and more activities are emphasizing additional practices and time requirements in today's competitive world. You as the parent have to decide if a particular activity is appropriate for your child. Options for time-pressed families is to sign kids up for a suitable clubs and academies.Do signup only for suitable time period to avoid stress. Go for demanding Jobs, but select an employer organisation which allows you flexibility in individual career and personal lives of employees. 
11. Watch for signs of being overextended and adjust schedules as needed: If your kid's grades starting plummeting or you get a note that your child is not able to concentrate in school, you may be asking too much of them. Keep in mind a child's age, personality, and true interest in making decisions.
12. Plan simply a free and relaxed time with family: This is simple and work wonders. Let it be a sunday or even an unplanned holiday. Just be at home or go to a nearby park. Don't forget that many child experts indicate that free time for play and social interaction can be better for a child's development than too many organized or structured activities.This will help you observe and find out what your children's interest and dreams are rather than what is yours for them!

In the fast moving life, there are many pressures that new-age couples have to deal with- running a home, doing daily chores like cooking/cleaning, raising children and handle the tight deadlines at work! Ever wondered how the 21st century couples can deal with all this? How can they divide their daily work, make sure their children get the right amount of attention and time and also be productive at work? As per a report from TOI, today, technology not just makes your life easy and simple, but also brings a work-life balance. There are many working couples, who constantly stay connected on mobile Internet- using email, social networking websites as well as use gadgets like network enabled Femto and spy camera devices at home. 

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Majority of women prefer working part-time so that they can spend maximum time with their kids and build a strong foundation for them, according to a study by industry body Assocham.Nearly 56 percent women said working from home is an ideal situation for them, while 16 percent of them said they would prefer to work full-time. The chamber has surveyed over 4,500 working couples in Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai.The survey reveals that out of ten, seven working women said that they would prefer part-time work and would not opt for a full-time job.

It is said that there are also differences in the way working moms and at home moms assess their role as parents. Mothers working full-time give themselves slightly lower ratings as parents, on an average, than mothers employed part-time.There are many working couples who leave their infants in the hands of a nanny. They constantly worry whether their children are safe at home. In this scenario, it becomes of prime importance to install spy cameras, which can keep an eye in their home.


Family first is the motto and to make it work have other priorities adjusted. Blood is thicker than water! Cherish and nurture it well! 


Best Wishes for a wonderful family life and quality family time! Do write in your comments and share your valuable experiences to fellow readers.