Today my little angel turned 21 – how did that happen? 🎉 On the way to Munich to celebrate with her, I sat in the car next to my husband, my son, and his girlfriend. I pretended to be listening to an audiobook, but my thoughts were elsewhere. They were focused on a theme that has significantly shaped my life: work-life balance. 🤔

 

More than two decades ago, our journey began. I was regularly declared a crazy and neglectful mother. We both worked full-time, had two children, and had big ambitions. “The crazy one flies with the baby to meetings in England,” the neighbors would say, “poor man, how does he manage it all with her, she's just always traveling the world.” 🌍✈️ The guilt and constant prejudices were overwhelming. Everyone knew better what we should be doing and what we were doing wrong.

 

Now, more than 20 years later, I look at my children and feel proud – they have grown into two wonderful individuals with their own life plans and both are “unstoppable.” 💪🚀

 

Looking at our family now, I am sure that my husband and I would do everything just the same again. Our experiences have taught us many lessons about life, love, and work. Here are the key insights we’d like to share with you:

 

Strong Together: Collaboration as partners is crucial for balancing family and career. We supported each other in our careers and in parenting, which helped us manage both areas of our lives successfully. 👫💼

 

Live Authentically and Goal-Oriented: It's crucial that both partners pursue and support their own values and goals. 🌟📈

 

Communicate Openly: Open communication between partners can work wonders, prevent misunderstandings, and ensure strong support both at home and at work. 🗣️💬

 

Prioritize Wisely: Setting priorities that allow for fulfillment both professionally and personally strengthens the relationship and the family. ⏳👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

 

Support and Be Supported: Having a strong network is essential, and the most important part of this network is your partner. Together, you can manage daily burdens more easily and appreciate joys more deeply. 🤝❤️

 

Care for Yourself and Your Relationship: Maintaining a healthy, happy relationship is as important as self-care. Both contribute to the stability of the entire family. 🧘‍♀️💕

 

I invite you to share your thoughts and experiences: How do you balance family and career? What strategies have helped you as partners and parents to successfully manage work-life balance? 🗣️💬