The balance that was passed on to you

Like many working parents, I struggle with work/life balance. At least once a day, I wonder if I am spending enough time with my family, or if I am committed enough to my job. I do my best to model a family first attitude for my team, but I know they have seen evidence of me working late into the night from time to time. I hate not knowing how my son will really feel about having two working parents - and the effects upon his life from that - until he is much, much older.

I read books on balance, I talk to other parents and I look at my own behavior. One thing I've never really done is look at how my own parents' work/life balance has affected my thinking. In the small (but revealing) interviews on that link, a researcher has found that we are all definitely affected by the balance our parents had. Some of us may adopt it, as they found no fault with it in their youth; others may reject it and try to provide a better model for their children.

For the first part of my childhood, my Mom stayed at home. She volunteered with our school and in the Girl Scouts, so part of me wishes I could do more of those things with my son. After the divorce, she was a single parent who worked long hours to provide for us, but she still tried to be there for the important days. I remember her taking time off when I got an award in high school and that she still found the time to help with school projects. She is a great Mom.

So, that is my model. And it is a good one: Realizing that I am not going to be there as much as I would like to be, but I need to be there for the days that matter.

What do you think would help improve your work/life balance? Tell me in the comments.