Write an article based on this "Let your coworkers know how to reach you. Train one of your employees or interns to step in for you occasionally. Ask for flexibility at work in clever ways. Have a talk with your boss if your responsibilities become overwhelming. Keep a calendar and task list."
Provide your contact information, like your cell phone number and email address, for your coworkers so they can reach you when you're out of the office. Tell them when you'll be available and how quickly you can be expected to respond. For instance, if you have to stay home because one of your children is sick, tell your coworkers that they can reach you between 8am and 5pm by phone, text, email, or Skype. Use your resources and help to develop others by training them on your projects. Show them some of the things you're working on and teach them how to do it. Have them take notes in a meeting that you don't necessarily need to be at so you can free up more of your time for other work. If you know that a certain employee is really interested in an aspect of your work, enlist them to help with that. This gets some work off your plate while also helping them meet their goals. Review your other responsibilities and delegate tasks when possible. Got some copying or shredding to do? Ask an intern or administrative staff. As a working parent, you'll need a bit of leeway sometimes to balance your competing responsibilities. If the kids get sick or if Thursdays are super busy for you with their schedules, working from home that day might be beneficial. Ask your boss if you can do this by offering them something in return. Don't just say, "Working from home will give me more time with my kids." Instead, say, "The time I would save commuting on Thursdays would help me get those financial reports in to you quicker and with more detail." You can also ask for flex time. Perhaps you would like to work later on Mondays and get off early on Tuesdays. Ask your boss if this would work for the company. Though many supervisors understand how hard it is to manage work and a family, some do not. If you feel that you have too much work to do, are constantly working nights, and have very little time with your family, have a talk with them and come prepared with solutions. Say, "I wanted to talk to you about my workload. I come in early every day and take very few breaks, but I still can't seem to get it all done unless I work late. I was wondering if I could share some of my assignments with some of the new staff who are looking for more to do." Working parents often have tons of meetings, events, and tasks to do during any given day. Keep your work life organized by keeping a calendar with all your meeting times and locations. Make a tasklist at the beginning of each day and complete major tasks first and minor tasks as the day goes on.