Life is all about maintaining a balance. A proper balance that enables you to dedicate enough time to nearly all areas of your life. And striking this balance is not easy. The same thing applies to parenting and work. Either of them should not overshadow each other and that’s why we’re sharing some of our tips for juggling parenting and work. Read our article to know how to come to that perfect balance.
Juggling parenting and work isn’t easy, but with a few organizational skills you can definitely make it better.
Ask For A Flexible Work Schedule
Parenting is no child’s-play! The number of responsibilities that you have to push through can get overwhelming. Communicating what you exactly need in terms of timings, or schedules to your employer will make things a tad bit easier for you. This becomes especially important if you’re the primary caregiver. If your child needs to be picked up from school, or if some sort of child emergency arises, then a flexible working schedule will certainly put your mind at ease while you’re tending to those tasks.
An honest and open dialogue with your employer is key over here. And we’re sure that your manager will appreciate your dedication as a parent and as an employee.
Plan Better
Nothing goes without a proper plan. And if you want to maintain that balance between work and parenthood, then having a proper plan that works for your children and partner is important. You don’t have to do everything by yourself! Strategize what needs to be done by whom, share household chores with your partner and children. This will surely have a positive toll on your mental health, knowing that things are in order and in place. You’ll feel like a captain of a well-disciplined ship! If something is not working out with your family concerning their dedicated chores, then re-strategize and re-plan. Swap roles and see how they cope with it. Try doing this every week so that it breaks the monotony.
Also, you can go with having a personal bedside planner. Jot down the things you have to do and events to attend the next day. Parenting is all about being organized and creating a healthy lifestyle for your children.
Have A Separate Work Space
While you may think that working from the comfort of your home is a blessing, it does have its fair share of cons as well. It’s extremely easy to get distracted especially when you’re working in the living room or in a space that has a lot of human activity. That’s why when you’re working from home, it’s important to assign a separate room/space for yourself. Treat it as if you’re working in an office. Let that be the time when you take a slight break from parenting; unless something urgent comes up.
But, that doesn’t mean you have to completely cut your children off while you’re working. If you have younger children, have a small divider separating your workspace from the living room so that you can keep an eye on them at intervals.
Set Certain Boundaries
It’s natural to receive work emails after you’re done for the day. But, reading one while you’re at your child’s elocution competition is something you don’t want to do. Your child needs your full attention during these times and giving only a passive ear is something they don’t seek.
Times when you’re at the table for a family meal, reading a book, or helping your child with homework, your phone should be your last priority. Keep it on silent or vibrate mode just to peek into messages or missed calls to see if there’s an emergency. Other than that, leave your phone aside.
Take Breaks In Between
You might wonder what’s a break. Is there really time to take a break in this constant life of hustle? Although you may keep working even after 9-5 to meet deadlines, it’s suggested that you take a break and unwind from that constant load. Work is always going to be there. Deadlines will always pile up. But, it’s your health that you need to take care of first. Apart from that, there’s a chance of not giving enough emotional attention to your children which in turn can affect their mental health.
So, take those breaks in between. Take lunch breaks, plan an activity with your kid, take a stroll on the sidewalk. Do anything that refreshes your mind! You might feel you’re wasting time. But, in reality, you’ll feel energized and your mind will be in a much better capacity to complete your remaining work.
Take Care Of Yourself
Working overtime and sticking to the grind can result in immediate burnout. That can also hamper the quality of work and can affect the relationships around. To avoid that from happening, taking care of yourself as much as you’re taking care of your family is equally important.
We did mention taking breaks in between hectic work hours but that’s just one way. Try meditation. Even a 5-minute one before you start the day will do. There are various breathing exercises out there that’ll help in rejuvenating your mind and senses. You can even encourage your kids to join you in this exercise. Also, you can try listening to music. Whatever is your taste, be it classical or metal, music is a great mood booster to pump you up to tackle anything that comes your way.
One of the most handy tips for juggling parenting and work is to draw distinct boundaries between your work and personal life.
Conclusion
These are some of our tips for juggling parenting and work. And we hope you’ve taken something home after reading it. Inculcate these pointers and see how managing work and parenthood becomes a bit of a breeze. To help you make your workload even lighter, check out our ImmunnifyMe app that’ll help to keep track of your child’s vaccination appointments and nutritional growth. You can even book appointments and schedule online video calls or physical appointments with pediatricians around your neighborhood.
FAQs On Tips For Juggling Parenting And Work
How Do You Juggle Work And Parenting?
Juggling parenting and work can get a bit tricky, but these 6 tips below will help you strike that perfect balance:
- Ask For A Flexible Work Schedule
- Plan Better
- Have A Separate Work Space
- Set Certain Boundaries
- Take Breaks In Between
- Take Care Of Yourself
What Is A Healthy Work/Life Balance?
Many will have different interpretations of what a healthy work-life balance means. But, generally, a healthy work-life balance would mean when individuals don’t have to worry about work at home. They’re able to complete their deadlines and make time for family and friends as well.
How Does Work Affect Parenting?
It’s important to always strike that work-life balance so that you’re able to give enough of your time to your children and to yourself. Working too hard to the extent of neglecting your child’s activities could result in poor academic performance and behavioral changes of the child.
