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Changing economics, that fluctuate so rapidly from day to day, have those that have to raise a family forced into taking on 2nd jobs as well as trying to give their family some type of normalcy. The need to clone oneself has never been so desired as it is today among those that have to juggle work and family life in order to pay the bills, go to school, and stay afloat in a world of uncertainty.

How does one do it? How do they succeed at balancing life and work? We live in a time that it is not unusual for men and women to be single parents and they do it all the time. We see them at work, at school, and even at play with a smile on their faces and getting the job done. Then there are couples that do it with only one income while the spouse goes to school, or the spouse just cannot find a job. What is the secret that these individuals seem to have that some of us strive to emulate?

There really isn’t a secret as much as there is a list of suggestions that we found helpful for those that try to walk that tight-rope called life with a balancing act that is successful. Try a few of these.

1. Time Management

Running late every morning can be stressful, not only for you but for your kids who are only following your lead. There have been supervisors that report that the pet peeve they have with their employees is lateness. When you are not at your station, class, or desk at the proper time, it can be annoying, embarrassing, and lead to your dismissal or poor grades.

If you have to be up and ready to leave your home by 7 a.m. to drop kids off at school, then get yourself to work or school, the night before is critical. Are you getting your much needed sleep, or are you up watching the television screen? There are many ways to catch up on your favorite shows without missing sleep. DVR them, or if you don’t have that capability, just resolve that being early is more important.

A consistent schedule of bedtime for you and your entire family during the work-week has to take priority over leisure time. Have a family meeting and discuss the time that the lights go off at night, including the other sleep-deprivers, like cell-phones, laptops, and tablets.

Make lunches at night. After the kids are in bed, make their lunches. This saves time because you don’t have your children picking out what they want and don’t want as you are trying to get their lunches prepared in front of them or in the morning. What is in the bag is in the bag, and if they have any suggestion of what they would like, have a meeting about this also. Get a board to put up in the kitchen so that they can write it down or you can write it down for them.

Asking for help with time consuming projects can be useful. Sometimes we just cannot get a project done, and that is okay, there is help. It takes courage to reach out and get that help. For instance, you want to make it to your daughter’s ballet recital but there is a paper due in that English class you are taking. There are custom writing services that you can hire to do the paper for you so you do not miss such an important event. Just be prepared with all of the information that you want included in the paper. It is okay to do this and it is not considered plagiarism.

2. Communication

A fan wrote in that it seemed that her husband just walked out each day leaving her with the hard work of getting the kids ready for school and herself off to work. When asked what she had done to let him know that this was overwhelming her, she said she just let it go.

Many of your most stressful situations can be resolved if you communicate your needs about them. You don’t want to rock the boat, or are afraid of hurting feelings. However, at the same time your life is suffering at home and at work.

 Yep, it’s time for a meeting. We cannot express how important communication within a family is. Lovingly express to your family members what you need help with, and if necessary use the word “no” more generously than you have been using it.

Delegate responsibility to others in the family to get things done more fairly among the family members, and more quickly. Communicate how important it is for them to follow through on their own chores and obligations within the household, and don’t forget to be the example by getting things done also.

3. Talk to Your Employer

Don’t be intimidated by their title of “boss.” They may be your biggest ally when it comes to understanding your family/work juggling act. Remember, they are human too. If you don’t explain why you are running late all of the time or what you they can do to help on their end, they cannot help you.

4. Work from home

Ask if there are some projects that you can work on from home at your desk a couple of times a week, or can you have a longer work day and free up another day to be at home during the week.

Some companies have changed their schedules to reflect a 4-day week, which includes 10 hr. shifts instead of the 5-day 8 hr. shift that has been followed for so many years. They did a survey across their companies and were surprised at how many employees wanted the change. Freeing up just one day a week made a big difference in productivity and job satisfaction.

Some employees are even finding work-at-home jobs the best option for their busy lives. The job of content creation is one that can be sought after if you are a writer, top writer review sites may be the place to look for employment with companies that need writers.

5. Online Schools

If you want to spend time at home, this has to be the best option. Online education is not only accessible, it is affordable, oftentimes even free. Make sure you do the research on this valuable asset to time saving. Your family will love that you are home more often, but remember you still have classes and you still have deadlines, so get used to saying “no” when you have to do your studies. Tell them that your time at your desk is just as important as their time at school, or at work.

This is just a few of the tips that we found. Follow some of these and your work days will be less stressful, giving you time to enjoy your family life. When we manage our time, communicate our needs and make some changes in how we use our days, the clone we used to need in our lives isn’t needed as much anymore.