Here are some questions to get you thinking about your own work-family juggling act.  Share it with your coworkers, compare notes, and see how your work and family situation stacks up.

1. What is your current work-family situation?
a. single, no children at home
b. single parent with children under 18, work full time
c. single parent with children under 18, work part time
d. single parent at home with my children
e. married couple, no children or children are grown
f. married couple, with children under 18, both parents work full time.
g. married couple with children under 18, one parent works full time, other works part time.
h. married couple with children under 18, one parent works, one parent at home with kids full time

2. What is the biggest obstacle you face in obtaining your ideal work-family situation?
a. financially cannot afford to have me or my spouse stay home full-time or work fewer hours.
b. employer would not permit me or my spouse to work fewer hours.
c. working less would mean sacrificing challenging work or career advancement.
d. none – the situation I have right now is ideal for my family.

3. What is your biggest complaint about your current work-family situation?
a. Don’t get enough quality time with my spouse
b. Don’t get enough quality time with my kids
c. Don’t get enough quality time to myself
d. Don’t have enough time to focus on interesting or important work projects
e. I am content with my current situation

4. Which of these would most make your overall work-family situation less stressful? (choose one)
a. more flexibility in arranging my work schedule
b. work from home
c. work fewer hours
d. have my spouse work less
e. have regular childcare or a live-in nanny

5. How often do you take work home with you, or does work spill over into your home life?
a. almost every night
b. once or twice a week
c. once or twice a month
d. a few times a year
e. never

6. What’s the most stressful time of day for you? (choose one)
a. morning (6-10am)
b. work hours (whatever your shift)
c. late afternoon/early evening (3:00-6:00pm)
d. dinner time (6:00-8:00pm)
e. late night before bed (8:00pm-midnight)

7. Why is this time the most stressful? (choose one)
a. My commute is stressful
b. I’m worried about my children being home alone
c. I, my spouse and/or my kids are tired and cranky
d. I’m preoccupied with work pressures and deadlines
e. My children need my undivided attention and I can’t give it to them
f. Too much to do at home and not enough time

8. If you are a working parent and your young child is too sick to go to school, what do you do?
a. call work and say your child is sick and you will have to stay home
b. call work and say that you are sick and will miss work
c. get a neighbor, friend or family member to stay home with the child
d. talk with spouse and decide who has the least demanding work day and can stay home with the child
e. spouse does not work and he or she will stay home with the child
f. take child to work with you

9. What sort of flexible options does your employer offer?
a. no flexibility in hours, except in emergency situations
b. some flexibility with start and end time for shifts
c. can work from home when I need to
d. flexibility with which days I work
e. a variety of flexible work options

10. If your employer has flexible options, do managers fully support these options, or do you feel that you “pay a price” professionally for using them?
a. managers support me fully
b. I pay a price for using flex time

11. How supportive is your workplace if you have to take time off for personal reasons (you or a family member is sick, etc…)
a. very supportive
b. very supportive, as long as my work gets done
c. somewhat supportive
d. a little supportive
e. not at all supportive

For national statistics and trends in American work-life issues, click here.