How to juggle work and your kids starting school

December 4, 2024

In America, 80.2% of families have at least one working parent. This means that most of us must figure out how to juggle our home routines and work life.

When your kids start school, striking a balance between your 9-5 job and your family schedule can be daunting, especially if you're adjusting your home routine to accommodate school drop-offs and pick-ups. There are many ways working parents can adapt to maintain a solid career while dedicating enough time to their kids.

If you're looking for ideas on managing your professional commitments alongside your family schedule, this article will give you a variety of valuable tips.

"The key to balancing your at-home and work schedule is honing your time-management skills and creating a consistent daily structure."

Top tips for juggling work and your kids starting school

Whether you're juggling work and school drop-offs, work and school pick-ups, or both, these tips can help you manage work and school starting:

Communicate with your employer

Talk with your employer to discuss alternative work arrangements that will help you better manage your at-home responsibilities and professional commitments. For example, consider negotiating your work hours and discuss the potential of switching to remote or hybrid work. This will give you more flexibility, allowing you to work around your family schedule.

If your boss is challenging to work with, you can also use this conversation as an opportunity to clearly outline your boundaries and needs, such as limiting how much overtime you work or perhaps adjusting your availability for emergency work calls.

Consider flexible job options

If your current employer can't give you more flexibility, it may be time to look for a more accommodating profession. Consider part-time roles or perhaps fully remote or hybrid working positions that allow you to spend more time at home. You could also look for freelance jobs that allow you to be your own boss and organize a schedule that works around your family.

Create a solid routine

The key to balancing your at-home and work schedule is honing your time-management skills and creating a consistent daily structure. Breaking down daily routines into three core parts is an effective way for working moms and dads to manage school schedules — the morning school drop-off, school pick-up, and after school.

To start the day smoothly, have everything laid out ahead of time. Make sure your children's clothes are ready, breakfast is prepared, lunches are packed, and school bags are organized beforehand so you can quickly get out the door in the morning to drop the kids off.

When the children are at school, complete your professional tasks for the day at least one hour before school finishes. This will ensure you have enough time to wrap up loose ends at work and collect your youngsters.

At home, give your children specific time slots for homework, dinner, play, chores, and bathtime. This will give your kids an evening structure and help them to be more independent so that you can focus on other areas, such as housework or cooking dinner, while they get busy with their own tasks.

Harness scheduling tools

When you're juggling many tasks, it's easy for things to slip and get forgotten.

Scheduling tools can help you stay on top of everything, guaranteeing that your daily schedule runs smoothly. You can use digital calendars, such as Google Calendar, to keep track of important school events, playdates, work meetings, and family activities. You could also use productivity planning apps, such as Google Tasks or Todoist, to remind you of important upcoming events and prioritize your responsibilities.

Share responsibilities with trusted family and friends

Don't carry the whole load by yourself. Consider reaching out to trusted family and friends to help with your responsibilities.

If possible, co-parent with your partner to equally distribute childcare responsibilities. Have a sit-down conversation to communicate when you both have availability to either drop-off or pick-up the kids from school, and create a schedule that works for both of you.

If you and your partner are busy with work responsibilities, consider seeking a helping hand from grandparents and relatives, like aunts, uncles, and older cousins. You could even ask if any close friends and godparents can help with daily routines. Involving them in your children's routine will help lift the load and give your kids valuable bonding time with loved ones.

Take advantage of extra-curricular activities

Extra-curricular activities are a wonderful way to keep your kids busy and entertained while allowing you more time to focus on work, errands, and downtime.

Look for activities that your kids will enjoy to ease your load, such as breakfast clubs, after-school sports, arts and crafts classes, cooking courses, musical programs, or chess clubs.

Extra-curricular programs will not only give you more time to focus on work but also provide your children with extra learning, fun, and enriching hobbies, making this arrangement beneficial for everyone.

Network with other parents

Try connecting with fellow parents when picking up the children and dropping them off at school. There may also be school-based forums and groups to schedule playdates and coordinate carpooling. This will give you extra support, freeing up time when you need it most. Parent groups are also a fantastic way to share and find parenting advice and experiences, giving you a strong support network that you can reach out to.

Teach your children to understand and respect important work time

It's beneficial for your children to understand the importance of your work because this may help them respect and cooperate with you. Ensuring you're transparent with your kids is the first step to getting them to see why you must work and its importance. Tell them what your job is and explain that it provides a home, food, and fun things, such as vacations, family activities, and presents.

You should also set clear boundaries for your children. For example, if you must work from home during after-school hours, make sure your kids understand that they cannot disturb you while you work unless there's an emergency. Some parents find signal systems effective when setting boundaries. For instance, you could leave a red card on your home office door when you aren't to be disturbed. While you're busy, encourage your children to play independently or complete homework to keep them occupied and productive while you focus on work.

Make time for self-care

If you overwork yourself, you might be more accident-prone at work, struggle to manage your family and experience stress-related issues.

Make sure to take scheduled breaks throughout the day to help restore your energy levels and allow you to relax. You should also consider allocating some time each week to an activity you love, such as going to the gym, watching a movie, reading, meeting with friends, or going on a date night with your partner.

This will help you remember that you're more than an employee and a parent. Ensure you take essential time to recharge your mind and body so that you feel refreshed and ready to balance your work responsibilities and family needs.

Find your next flexible role with Career Builder

As mentioned throughout this guide, flexibility is essential for juggling work life and kids. If your current role lacks the flexibility you need to achieve a balance between your professional responsibilities and family duties, have a browse at all our recommended jobs for busy parents via Career Builder.