Balancing Work and Family
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This is a sampling of the Scripps
Howard News Service newspaper column and the Carter's
newsletter which is packed full of useful information for
working couples. For more
information on how to find the column in your area, to make
arrangements to publish the column, or to receive the
newsletter please e-mail Dr. Jaine
Carter, or call 800-566-6155.
By
Jaine Carter, Ph. D.
James D. Carter, Ph. D.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 32,000,000 working couples in America. Having to balance work and family is not a new phenomenon. There has always been a need for women to join the work force in order to help support their families. That need is growing.
It is a myth that women have gone back to work merely
because of a need for self-fulfillment. While many women
feel more self-confident because of their jobs (Women the
New Providers - Whirlpool Foundation Study, Part I) most
work because they have to in order to make ends meet.
Too often, this financial necessity gets lost in rhetoric,
and women are made to feel guilty because they are unable to
devote more time to their personal responsibilities.
1. Remove the cloak of guilt. Look at the facts. More than 8,000,000 people have been laid-off from work due to corporate downsizing. It makes good sense for all members of a family to be able to earn income and help support it. Once you come to terms with reality as it is today -- that working is a fact of life for both men and women -- you will be able to focus on what needs to be done in order to balance your various responsibilities.
2. Implement skills you use at work to help manage your personal life. Managing a family can and should be equated with managing a small business. Without teamwork and a commitment to cooperate, a duel-career relationship can send one or both of you straight to burnout.
3. Decide what is important. Individually decide what you really want out of your life, your job, and your relationships . . . .
