Doing It All as a Solo Parent (HBR Working Parents Series)

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How to Prioritize Your Time More Strategically

by Carol Hagh

Quick Takes

• Find half an hour each day to spend with your family
• Delegate some decisions to another adult or family member
• Choose extracurriculars that are most important to your kids
• Partner with people in your support network to handle logistics
• Ask your kids to take responsibility of household tasks
• Let go of chores that don’t need to be done

We often talk about the “balancing act” of managing work and parenting—that the solution is a combination of compromise, multitasking, and choosing an understanding employer. But there are limits to compromise, and multitasking is exhausting. And we do not all have the good fortune or opportunity to choose a flexible and understanding ...