Balancing work and family

Your persona has changed since having a baby, and you may be wondering how much you should integrate your parent self with your workplace self. The answer depends largely on the culture and style of your particular workplace. Look around and observe how other moms and dads handle this matter, and let their example guide you. Do supervisors display family photos? Do many parents take advantage of options like flex time?

You may need to take time off or limit the hours you work because of your baby. In weighing which priority — baby or job — takes precedence in a given situation, it's best to take into account the flexibility of your workplace, total time off available, and your childcare arrangement. When your baby is sick, you may prefer to be with her yourself and let your spouse or sitter handle well-child checkups, for example. Or you may decide you want to be there for all doctor visits, scheduling them for your lunch hour or after work in order to minimize time away from your job.

Then, instead of focusing on the time you can't be at work, think about how to more efficiently use the time you do spend there. Consider keeping regular to-do lists, coming in early instead of staying late, and eliminating as much personal activity at work as possible. Some people are able to work through lunch in order to leave earlier, for example. Keep track of your progress and communicate with your boss about it on a regular basis so she can see firsthand that you're balancing your parenthood with dedication to your job.