For all the efforts my company might make, no flex time or raise or relocation or laptop or on-site childcare center could create true work/life balance. Could I use more time with my daughter? Always. But, let's be honest, I can't work from home without hiring someone to watch her while I work. I can't work less because more hours equals more pay and we always need that. A day care on-site wouldn't take care of the laundry, dishwasher, cat litter, dry cleaning or oil change (and by no means, teach me about wine tasting, allow me to travel or how to drive a standard).
It's impossible to achieve work/life balance. It's just another way to make women think they have to do it all. It suggests that your work and your life carry the same value- these are both equally important so learn to juggle them at the same time. I don't know about you but my job and my life mean very, VERY different things for me. I work for corporate America; it pays the bills and doesn't come home with me at the end of the day. Life to me is soaking up every laugh and burp and pout and squeal of my 4.5 month old daughter. Life is feeling alive and wanting to travel and learning to snow board. Tell me how exactly I'm supposed to balance that kind of work/life? And imagine squeezing in the duties of life...errands and house work...yikes!
Instead of working to achieve balance, I believe women need to focus on being present. Since having my daughter and returning to work, I've learned one lesson that has been invaluable. When I'm at work, I'm present 100% and I give 100%. When I'm home, I'm present 100% and I give 100%. Does everything get done? Not always. But I'm not short changing anyone and that's what matters. And what does get done, I can be certain was done with 100% of my attention and effort. When I apply this philosophy, I feel a lot better about my day because I know that I gave my all and tried my best.
When I was trying to achieve "work/life balance", I found myself getting stressed out and disappointed. I wasn't giving it my all because I was too focused on doing 50 things at a "just ok" level instead of maybe 10 things really, really well (alright, really only 5 things super well). Everything doesn't have to get done. Just be sure that what does get done, gets done right.
Sometimes we have to bring work home with us. Sometimes we have to leave work early to take care of our families or ourselves. It's all about your perspective in dealing with issues that arise.
Life doesn't always equal out exactly as a scale would. I think it teaches your children a much more valuable lesson if they see you rolling with the punches life throws at you in a healthy way than obsessing about whether or not you've balanced the scales perfectly.