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Your day has been long and hectic. You’re tense and ready to go home. Unfortunately, you’re concerned that you might bring home the tension from work and that it will affect your family time. Here are some ideas of how to create a smooth transition between work and family time that may help you.

Use the drive or commute home as a way to relax. If you’re driving, find some soothing music to listen to. If you’re riding a bus or train home, why not take a book with you to read on your commute? This will help you begin to relax so you’re less stressed when you return home.

If you arrive home before everyone else, try to set a relaxed mood. Change out of your business clothes, put on comfortable shoes, and take a few minutes to relax. There’s no reason to begin rushing around if you’re home alone. Give yourself a break - you’ve worked hard all day and you deserve it.

What do you do when everyone arrives home at the same time and there’s no time to relax before you’re faced with everyone at once? Try asking everyone to go to their rooms and get comfortable. After they’ve had a chance to do that, you’ll have your few minutes of peace and quiet before they all appear again.

Do you have a routine that you generally follow each evening? You and your family can ease into your routine by taking time to sit down and talk for a few minutes. It’s important to reconnect after you’ve been away from each other all day. Taking this time may also help your entire family to relax so the transition from work and school to family time is less abrupt.

Have a small snack – fruit or vegetable slices – available for them so you can begin preparing dinner without people bugging you about when it will be done. A small snack before dinner, just enough to cut the hunger, can also help your children calm down while you’re busy with dinner.

You may want to ask your family to help prepare the meal. This will also give you an opportunity to talk about your day without anyone feeling like they’re being given the fifth degree. In fact, spending time together while cooking dinner can be a great way to reconnect for everyone in the family, so why not make dinner preparation a family affair?

Have someone set the table so you can eat and then enjoy the meal you’ve prepared together. Take time to keep the conversation going by asking open-ended questions about each other’s day. This is one of the best ways to create a smooth transition between work and family time.

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