Rookie Mum: Balloons are a child's-eye view of a balanced lifestyle

There is a lot of talk these days about that nebulous thing called work-life balance. In Hong Kong's culture of long working days, it's easy to fall off the tightrope and feel like you're doing neither very well.

I am lucky enough to work part time. My husband, however, often leaves for work as our young son, Tom, gets up and is home well after he's in bed.

But companies are increasingly aware of the importance of maintaining some balance, which is why my husband's employer, Barclay's, holds an annual "bring your children to work" day.

Confounding my usual cynicism, it proves to be a brilliant event. When we arrive, the party room is filled with balloons and long tables where the older children are painting. There's not a computer terminal or video-conferencing machine in sight (but more of that later).

Writing in The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year, parenting author Armin Brott suggests a few ways we can maximise time with family, minimise stress "and avoid trashing your career". His alternatives include arrangements such as flexi-time, job-sharing, and working part time - none of which seem particularly acceptable to Hong Kong employers.

Our little boy is blissfully unaware of any questions about work-life balance. He runs round grabbing balloons, screaming "balloo, ballooo!"