Being a romantic dad: How to balance your work and home life

If you’re a regular reader of Romance Tracker, you know that we think there’s nothing more romantic than a committed father who lives up to his responsibilities, plays a role in providing for his family, and contributes his share to the wonderful team that is a romantic relationship. Your family and your significant other should always be the number one priority in your life, but part of being a good husband—and a good wife, as well—is making sure that you attend to your responsibilities as a provider, too.

But in a world as hectic as ours, how does a father effectively balance a busy career with the home life, children and significant other that exist as his top priority?  Sometimes it can feel like a no-win situation;  if you don’t pay enough attention to the advancement of your career, you’re providing a poor example for your children and robbing your family of financial stability.  But by concentrating too much on your work, you take yourself out of an equation that’s crucial to your entire family’s health and happiness . . . and put a serious strain on your romantic relationship, as well.

It may feel as though it’s impossible to balance your work and home life, but we’re surrounded by millions of examples of fathers who have successfully built their careers while still providing their families with the attention and affection they deserve.  Remember: you’re never going to find the perfect balance, and problems are a natural—and sometimes healthy—part of every relationship.  But by following a few simple guidelines, you’ll make success much more likely when it comes to balancing your career and your family.

1. Let your family know they are more important than your work

You need to balance your responsibilities with paying enough attention to your family to let them know how important they are to you.  Your family may understand that work or other responsibilities keep you away from home longer than you would like, but do you make sure that they know how much you missed them when you were gone?

2. Call in sick every now and then to spend time with them

Millions of people skip work for an endless number of reasons every day, including plain old laziness. But if you’re a hard worker and deserve a little time off, taking some much-deserved time off to spend time with your family is a perfect way to recharge your batteries and show them how much they mean to you.

3. Take your relationship seriously . . . but take your job seriously, too

Like everything in life, it’s possible to assign too much weight to your romantic relationship or marriage . . . to the detriment of other important aspects of your life.  A healthy career is an essential ingredient in a successful family, and ignoring your job or being apathetic about your performance at work will affect your family life negatively, eventually.