THE POWER OF THREE (2)

The Wedding Cake

Imagine your world without some kind of family life.  Not a pretty thought.  Most of us understand the basics of what family life is about.  And when we talk about work/life balance, we really mean, work life versus family life.  Work shouldn't be in competition with family life. You,your family life and work should all be in balance, but sometimes that is easier said than done.

Family life is different for everyone.  If you're young and single, you still have family, but it parents and siblings.  You may have your own family, a partner or husband and children.  You may be a grandparent or on the verge of retirement, but it's likely that you have some family somewhere, even if it's a distant cousin, somewhere.  And for many of us, we have friends that are closer to us than our blood relatives and who we might even prefer over our own families, if given a choice.

The idea of the traditional family has been replaced by the notion of 'blended families' which often include step, adopted or foster children which all come with their own challenges, but are still family.

So, whether, single or attached, married, divorced, widowed, young or old, we all belong to a family and have responsibilities.  And these responsibilities can overtake your life.  Family is time-consuming, and needs to be managed accordingly. Never under-estimate the value of spending time with those close to you, it will always pay dividends.

But sometimes you could almost tear your hair out dealing with family.  Sports and music clubs, homework, hobbies are all very timely and at times costly.  I recall helping my daughter to make a cake for her RE homework depicting items from the story of Creation.  All those sugar flowers, fruit and animals along with the cake mix cost nearly £20.00.  I couldn't believe it!  And to make matters so much worse, she agreed to make another one the next day for all of her friends.  So, I had a late night making the cake, ensuring that the icing hardened with another set of very expensive decorations. Another £20.00. 

Your family may also consist of aging parents for which you have a responsibility and for who you need to make time.  This might mean numerous doctor and hospital visits and home care and residential care, if appropriate.  

If you are a  grandmother, you might need to adjust your day in order to pick up your grandchildren from school.  Whatever your circumstances, family life should be prized and valued.

Over the next few weeks we will go into greater detail of how to effectively manage family life, but for now:

TIP OF THE DAY

If you can afford it, get some hired help.  You might find that the cost of a cleaner for two hours a week, just takes that pressure off you to clean, dust and vacuum.  Or you may want to send the essential items of clothing to a reputable laundry to be ironed as it's such a time consuming activity.  Even if you can't afford it weekly, consider help once or twice a month for a few hours.  It's worth it!