Five Fantastic Points For Managing Work And Family Simultaneously

They say that the best laid plans of mice and men are doomed to fail. While a mouse might not really lead a complicated life, it nevertheless seems impossible for us to plan our busy lives around our family and work without some of those unexpected “days off” attributable to illness, weather or teacher training!

It would be really nice if everything and everyone were flexible, including schedules and you could just drop everything without notice to care for your ill child.

1. Where you can – plan. It's true that some of these days are unpredictable, but others may be scheduled ahead of time. The weather is always unpredictable of course, but snow days will only be expected during certain months of the year and inset days are almost always planned in advance, so with a bit of work, they can be placed in a schedule.

Sick days present the biggest problem of all, of course. You should do a little bit of planning and preparation work in full anticipation that this day will surely come! If planning really is a problem for you, consider professional coaching to help you get on that track.

2. Hoard your personal days. Both parents in your household might have to work due to regular commitments, in this case it is important to reserve some personal days for those sickness events. Many employers these days grant a certain amount of personal days and you should talk to your Human Resources department and your line manager as you try to anticipate these scenarios.

You may well not have any advance notice, so you will need to look at this from every angle to make sure that you are being fair to all concerned.

It would definitely be an advantage if you and your partner have a sympathetic employer who could understand your position. It is very important that you do not use personal or sick standby days for any reasons other than they're intended for.

3. Line up favours. Come up with a backup plan if you have several children that you are responsible for. See if you can get some additional emergency care-giving help lined up among good neighbours or friends. These favours should be repaid in any way you can think of. The more emergency backup plans you have the more you are going to be able to cope with the issue of a sick child or three.

4. Stock up on vitamins. When you are coping with sick children, remember that you should pay attention to prevention as it is a lot easier than the cure. If you can make sure that your children practise good personal hygiene, eat well, are well rested and in good health, then they're less likely to come down with those pesky, smaller viruses.

5. Be a good forecaster. Always keep a watchful eye on the forecasts during the winter months. These days they are generally much more reliable and if you can see the threat of a blizzard a couple of days ahead, start making contingency plans accordingly. When a school district is closed, you may well not be able to get to your work either, but if the office is open try and set-up a personal day or plan to work from home if allowed.

You might think you have to wear so many different hats, that you never know which one to put on.

Nowadays, online life coaching can really help you work out which part of your wardrobe to turn to on each occasion! If you're in need of guidance, coaching for women can help you to manage and not panic!

Amanda Alexander is Director of Coaching Mums and a highly acclaimed ICF-accredited coach who delivers professional coaching programmes to working mums who yearn for success, balance and fulfilment. Are you a juggling mom? Download our free eBook for working moms that will give you 5 simple and instant ways to balance your life right now!