If you’re inclined to dig into office doings before heading out, here’s how to keep it sane.

Review. Take a few minutes before the kids get up to structure your day. Be realistic about the day’s demands and fight the urge to overschedule. Instead, prioritize to-dos to help you feel in control of your workload.

Schedule. Whether it’s a check-in with your new hire or a check-up for your toddler, schedule all calls, meetings and tasks on your calendar. Programs like Google Calendar will send you alerts during the day to keep you on task—and on time.

Respond. Glance through your emails and respond only to urgent messages. Don’t feel compelled to actually answer them all. Just let the person know you received the email and will reply when you’re in the office.

Source: Tara K. Wilson, an attorney in Andover, MA