Reader question: In this sentence – Transporting kids to and from school is an important part of the juggle for many readers, especially those who work outside the home and who can’t dash off at 2:30 in the afternoon to pick up the kids – what does “juggle” mean?

My comments: One needs only to see a juggler at work to understand the concept of juggling.

The juggler has, well, only two hands, but he has to play with three or more objects (plates, whatever), throwing them up in the air one after another (or bouncing, say, five balls off the floor) and keep it going. That’s what is called the juggling act, or the balancing act.

In the example from above, when transporting kids to and from school is considered as “part of the juggle”, it’s considered to be part of two (or more) things parents have to do at the same time. Apparently those “who WORK outside the home” have to juggle between two tasks – having to be at work and picking up kids at 2:30, i.e. in the middle of afternoon.

You get the idea: to juggle is to face two or more choices, especially difficult ones, all at once.

Here’s a media example of “juggle”: Ayushveda has recently launched its exclusive men’s magazine — Adonis Corner online. India’s largest health and lifestyle portal is proud to present an online magazine that isn’t a lad magazine for men. The magazine is meant for the modern man who has to juggle between daily chores, office, wife and children. Men of all age groups will enjoy reading the various articles focusing upon the latest men’s fashion, lifestyle, girls, relationships and lots more. This magazine is an upscale example of refined articles and advice on day to day subjects exhibited by professionals in their respective fields. - India’s Online Men’s Magazine - Adonis Corner, 16 July 2008, freepressreleases.co.uk.

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About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

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