4 Ways to Be a Two Career Family

1. Prioritize Your Time

Decide as a family what your values are, and prioritize your time accordingly. Basic tasks such as work, school and managing a household take up the majority of a family's waking hours, leaving little time for leisure or accomplishing goals. Your family goals are personal, and may range from material goals like saving for a vacation, to relational goals like volunteering in the community as a family. If a family is exhausted, they may find themselves whittling away precious unscheduled time zoning out in front of the television. Acknowledge your family goals, put them in writing and mark time for them on the calendar each week.

2. Reduce Spillover

When you live in a two career family, work encroaches on family time, and family needs interrupt work. Although you can't eliminate this spillover completely, minimizing it can reduce stress levels. When you're at home, set aside a block of time to devote to your spouse and children that's sacred. During this time, don't check your cell phone or discuss work-related matters. When your children know they can look forward to this time, they'll be less whiny, too. Increase your efficiency at work by trading child duty responsibilities with your spouse. Each month, one spouse takes responsibility for tying up loose ends like sick days and appointments, so the other can focus on special projects on the job.

3. Organize Your Household

Many two career families suffer from what's commonly known as the "morning crazies." Two adults are trying to get ready for work, the children are slow to get out of bed, homework is missing and the dog needs to go out. Tackle your biggest morning conundrums head on with a strategy centered on organization. Every member of the family should have their clothes picked out the night before. If evenings are busy too, pick out clothes for the entire week on Sunday night. Pour cereal in bowls and set the table for breakfast after dinner, and place homework or sports equipment in a cubby beside the door.

4. Goal Modification

Two career families have the same desires as families with one breadwinner, but less time to accomplish those goals. Instead of admitting defeat, allow yourself alternative ways to achieve your goals. If you value sitting down together as a family for dinner each weeknight, but feel too exhausted at the end of the workday to prepare dinner, consider healthy convenience foods like a rotisserie chicken with a bagged salad and rolls. Use this same philosophy of modification for all goals in your life, whether they pertain to education, religion or entertainment.