For working parents with school-age children, this time of year is especially chaotic. But it is possible to manage the (often overwhelming) demands of back-to-school activities while still delivering at work. Start by thinking about what's realistic for you. Even with a flexible job, it's unlikely that you can make it to every bake sale, library fundraiser, and field trip. To do your fair share, try to do it all at once. For example, you can use a personal day entirely for school volunteering: Be the "reading helper" in your daughter's second-grade class in the morning, walk with the school's neighborhood safety patrol in the afternoon, and take the minutes during the PTA meeting in the evening. And don't try to hide why you'll be out of the office. Tell your colleagues what you'll be doing and why it's important to you. That will make it easier for them to understand, and to help if needed.
Adapted from "How Working Parents Can Manage the Demands of School-Age Kids," by Daisy Wademan Dowling
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