Memorandum of Understanding (Working Parents’ M.O.U. Template)

Insert name(s)

Shared planed family work

• The work of the home:
  • Planning, food shopping, cooking –
  • Laundry –
  • Financial planning –
  • Straightening –
  • Getting stuff fixed –
  • Weekly cleaning –
  • Lawn care –
  • Projects inside, including garbage on Sunday nights (organizing, etc) –
  • Projects outside/garage (organizing, gardening, etc) –
  • Planning vacations –
  • What else?
• The work of parenting:
  • Planning for, signing up, taking kids to activities
    • Sports –
    • Cub scouts –
    • All other (choir, plays, camps, other enrichment) –
  • Taking primary responsibility for seeking help on issues –
  • Getting ready for school and on the bus –
  • Picking up from school  –
  • Overseeing homework activities –
  • Shopping for needed clothes, supplies, etc –
  • Chores and financial education –
  • Conferences –
  • Doctor appts –
  • Dentist appts –
  • Helping them deal with issues that come up –
  • What else?

Shared contingencies

• Staying home/changing plans with sick kids – _______ (X% of time) _______ (Y% of time), with discussions to see who is missing what and has flexibility each time
• Staying home/changing plans when one of us is sick – exercising flexibility as needed

Planning to avoid –  long absences and/or missing family dinner more than 2 nights per week on average, where possible

• Staying plugged in while away via phone and email with kids and each other

Our work outside of the home

Mine:

• Paid time  –
• Volunteering at school –
• Other volunteering –
• Total working time –

Yours

• Paid time  –
• Volunteering at school –
• Other volunteering –
• Total working time –

Open communication

• Discussing these issues rather than letting them fester