Work/life balance question. To my creatives in the industry who are in a relationship, or married, or even have a kid or two, how do you manage? Is it possible? Seems like there’s this understanding that you can’t do it if you’re at an agency, but I know a couple people who do just fine.

I work late and an occasional weekend when it’s actually necessary, but for the most part my laptop is shut at 530. It’s going to sound silly, but you just doing it is how you do it.

Set a boundary and respect yourself, otherwise no one else will.

Your relationships, friendships, partners are infinitely more important than a social post. If you nurture your relationships they will be there for you when you’re inevitably let go regardless of how much you work, but ignore everyone and your support network shrinks. Agencies don’t give a shit about you, stick with who does by being present and treating work like work.

Try to avoid working for a boss who doesn’t have kids at home

Kids force you to become more efficient, waste less time in meaningless asks, fight the good fights, and overall care less about work. Which is a good thing.

Married ACD Art here. I’ve learned it starts with clear boundaries. I told my copy partner early on that I do not pull all nighters unless something is genuinely urgent. I mute notifications after 7pm and on weekends, and when needed, I push back respectfully while offering solutions. The goal is to deliver great work without it coming at the cost of real life.

I love these responses and many of these by people seem to have fairly good experiences but I would look in the parenting bowl on here to get a real sense of it.
Having kids in this industry, especially as a creative is extremely hard. You are expected to work as if you don’t have kids. I have had many many bosses who have kids and have a significant other or any at home to basically raise their kids while they work long hours day in and day out. And they in turn expect you to do the same. What you don’t realized until you have kids and are a working parent is that you only get to see your kids about three hours a day during the week. You wake up in the morning and get them out the door for daycare or school and then after work/ you do the dinner/bath/bedtime routine which takes up most of the evening time as they usually go to bed about 8:00. So if you have to work late for a couple weeks it’s likely you never see your kids awake. I know creatives who hadn’t seen their kids awake for over a month. And this is an unpopular opinion but if you’re going to bring a kid into this world you need to actually be able to give them the time they deserve.i hear the lies people tell themselves about how their kids are learning to be independent or that you’re setting yourself as a role model for them to be able to have their own life and goals outside of being a parent. All true but also all horseshit as any psychologist will tell you. The time your kids miss out with you no matter what the reason has a negative impact on their mental health. I have two kids. I wish I didn’t with this job. I also know many women who have exited this field bc they couldn’t do the juggling and balance. And when you really look at what we are doing from a high level and the hours we are putting into this field it’s so stupid. I’m not saying you can’t enjoy what you are doing but to me working 80 hr weeks on a thirty second Super Bowl spot and missing out on any experience with my kids or friends or family is a waste. The spot lives for a few weeks but the memories I’ll create with my kids can last forever.

Boundaries! Set hardstops on calendar

It’s all about priorities. When I was younger I put all my time and thought and energy into my career, but as I got older, relationships and other things become more important.
Why I got into the business and being creative is still important to me it’s just not the most important thing. It took a few years to figure out how practically live that, but it means potentially passing up a fat bonus because you’re not on the top of the billing leaderboard or not pushing to get on a super crucial client because you know what the culture is going to be and that’s OK.
How high you climb the ladder is a series of trade offs so you need to figure out what you’re willing to sacrifice to achieve the goals you want.

My husband and I both work at different agencies and we have 3 kids (two born in college, third was born several years into my career). It’s possible, but yeah… not easy. In 2020 my youngest started kindergarten and we just switched to work from home which I still am and obviously now it’s much easier. I feel bad that my older girls got a much more stressed version of me.

Strongly agree with boundaries! Also if one parent can work from home, it’s a massive help with school drop-off/pick-up, sick kids, all those fun things 😅

Over communicate when you can and can’t work. Simple.

Don’t let this business consume you. I have 3 children and a spouse that I adore. The hours are grueling and the stress is insurmountable at times, sure, but it’s possible to have the job and the life.

If you work in an environment that feels like it’s holding you captive - leave. You’ll be happier and produce better work for it.

This seems like a chain of really nice notes and good advice. After reading the replies, I would say that this is super supportive. Please don't take what I am going to say as unsupportive, not intended to troll... just a different voice.

You work in a creative field. Yes hour are demanding. Sure client demands can feel overwhelming. Pressure is real.... it the hardest job in the world. Believe it or not, your coworkers have relationships and families.

Don't over think "balance". I feel that many perceive balance to be 24 hrs =X hours of work, Y hours of family/personal, Z hours of sleep. If this is the calculus you already lost.

The real question is about whether what you’re doing actually moves your life forward. If you’re counting hours, you’re missing the point. Invest in work, invest in personal relationships. They are not mutually exclusive.

I have raised two kids myself as an art director. I have been in long-term relationships. You just need to have an understanding if you’re in a relationship and not have someone who is too needy/clingy, and with kids, you make time for just them, be creative about responsibilities, and have support coverage when needed (I had to have a nanny for them when they were younger). It’s def possible. Just need to juggle and be creative and have understandings.

I don't know how to address everyone, but listening to everyone's stories and advice has been tremendously helpful. I'll be honest, this tempered a fear of mine into something that's possible with the right boundaries and management of time and mental energy. Thank you all, this was super nice

Lots of married w kids in the biz. You make it work in ways that work for you. I will say you’ll end up sleeping a little less, some late nights in the decks when the fam is asleep are necessary bc you need to be present w them when they’re awake. But I’ve found it far more doable than my last job which was in foodservice

Married, mom, Senior Ui Designer. I have a hard stop at 5pm and if needed I come back online at 10pm, most of my work is with West Coast Creative team and East Coast Project Managers (I’m East Coast). I’m also very open with my religion, so when Friday comes I send the “heads up” email to let the team knows I will log off at 5pm on Friday and won’t be online or available until Sunday 11am. These boundaries have protected my family and my faith, it won’t advanced my career but I’m okay with that.

As many have said. Boundaries. I’ll admit that it took me some time to get there because I’m a people pleaser, but it’s totally doable. Every once in a while something requires time outside of standard hours, but the second someone tries to make it a habit, I make it clear how long a deliverable takes and that the client can’t wait to get us info or come blazing in at the last minute with a demand. Say no. Then give them a reasonable timeline and do you job. I do not check work email or Teams outside of work hours. Period.