Being a working parent isn’t always easy. In the end, juggling a career and kids is not for everyone. As much as parenting is a joyous endeavour, it comes with some obstacles for parents who are working or need to work.
Every married person who has a job or a business has wondered at some point how to build a career while building a family. Both demand our time, and sometimes one has to make way for the other. It’s a challenge virtually everywhere in the world.
Before exploring the solutions and tips, here are five of the biggest challenges working parents have to deal with:
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5 Big Challenges for Working Parents
1. Whether you work from home or not, you’ll still need a childcare
Office workers know how challenging it is to get to work, pick up their children at school, and get home after work. When you are hired for a job that allows you to work from home, you might expect to have no more daycare expenses. I don’t think so.
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It doesn’t matter if you’re a remote worker (and your kids aren’t in school yet); you still need some kind of coverage, whether it’s a daycare, a nanny, a babysitter collective, etc. For those who work from though, its flexibility provides more opportunities to connect with their children. But that does not make it less challenging; if anything, it’s an additional task.
2. Your loyalty may be put to the test
Imagine that you are the best at what you do. However, the flu knocks your kid out of commission for a few weeks, and you’re scrambling to keep up with your workload. The problem is that your boss may question your loyalty to your organization if you have to take off time to look after your child. And focusing on your job at the expense of your ailing child would give the impression that you care more about your career than your child.
3. You might be judged unfairly by your coworkers or passed over by your employer
Many of your colleagues who are still at work might give you the stink eye when you clock out promptly at 5:00. It might seem unfair to them that you can leave early ‘just because’ of your kids. Also, some bosses who are not-so-kid-friendly might share the same sentiments.
Having this tension can cause a bad dynamic in the office and possibly even prevent you from being included in essential tasks or promotion.
Often, working parents with traditional office jobs may find it challenging to convince their colleagues that they are just as hard-working as they are if they leave the office before them. If this is your situation, what you should do is let your work speak for itself. After the children go to bed, you may have to work a few extra hours to complete tasks. Just be careful that your work doesn’t suffer because you’re a parent.
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Over time, your coworkers will see that you’re getting all the work done and leaving on time – which might cause them to reconsider all the time they’re spending on social media instead of working.
4. Transitioning from work to home can be tough
It is not uncommon for working parents to continue working after they leave the office for the day. They may be answering emails on the train, researching on the bus, or even meeting a client before going home after work. This is why they might find it difficult to turn off work once they enter their home. However, you have to be present to have a work-life balance. This means that when you’re at work, you’re focused on the task at hand. Then, once you are at home, your whole world revolves around your family, from conversing about the day to making dinner together.
5. Finding time for yourself can be challenging
Working parents may find it difficult to make time for themselves due to pressures from family and work. But if you want to avoid burnout, you must take care of yourself.
Running early in the morning before work is an excellent way to clear your mind, or taking a long soak in a warm tub after the kids are in bed can help you relax. Organize time for yourself if your schedule is chaotic. 15 minutes a day can be enough to refresh your body and mind.
How to build a career while building a family
Kudos to countries and organizations who are conscious of these challenges and factor them into their operations. But in most cases, you will have to find that balance yourself.
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Whether you are a career person with a 9 to 5, you work from home; you are a business owner or you work from home as a single mom, these invaluable tips will help you successfully combine building a career with building a family:
1. Set priorities
It’s hard to be there for everyone and everything, with so many things demanding our attention and time. As a working parent, you most likely want to succeed at work, have a fulfilling relationship with your partner and still be fully involved in your children’s upbringing.
As if all of that is not enough, you may still want to further your education, contribute to your community, maintain a fitness regimen, and plan to save towards early retirement.
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Additionally, you may be dealing with extended family issues, like caring for your parents or handling a family crisis. This all takes time and energy and can cause conflict if not managed properly.
Therefore, you may need to consider your values and set some priorities based on those values. In addition, build a structure to ensure that no plan interferes with another.
2. Organize and plan ahead
In most cases, everyone is usually busy during the workweek. However, the week ahead will be less stressful if you have prepared for Monday’s arrival.
A family calendar can be posted on the refrigerator. Sunday is the best time to find out what’s up for the week and get a feel for what you’re going to do. If you can, prepare food on the weekend and put it in the refrigerator or freezer so you can reheat it quickly on a busy night.
You can enlist and involve your older children in this activity or get an extra hand in the home if you can afford it.
3. Build rituals into your life
Schedule family time to ensure it occurs. You can go to the movies or play games with your family. Family dinners can be a sacred occasion in which everyone sits down together and shares their experience for the day.
4. Make out time for yourself
Making time for yourself is a priority. Whatever level of fatigue you may be feeling, it’s an important thing to do. So put on your fitness shoes and head to your class; you will be happier and in better spirits afterwards. Stay physically fit.
Relax by watching your favourite weekly show, and make sure you protect that time jealously. Rest and meditate from time to time. Stay mentally fit.
Taking care of yourself will enable you to better care for others and handle the stress brought on by a busy schedule.
5. Make time for couple time
It is very easy for two people living together in the same household to drift apart due to the constant work/home whirlwind. In the same way that it is crucial to spend time with your children, it is also necessary to spend time with your partner.
Make time for each other. Take a walk together on Friday nights, after which you make good plans for the children’s wellbeing. You will notice a big difference even if you only do it for an hour.
6. Talk to your HR and employer
Parents can request flexible working hours to accommodate childcare to balance work and family life. “Most employers will be happy to help and support working parents where they can,” says Danielle Ayres, a solicitor. Your employer and management are humans too, who most likely go through the same thing as you so they will understand your need.
In Conclusion
Achieving a work-life balance can be challenging. And an all-in-one approach doesn’t exist. Depending on the preferences and needs of each individual or family, different solutions are needed to their issues.
A person who can sufficiently fulfil their family responsibilities and effectively perform their duties at work has successfully achieved a work-life balance. While it’s essential to work hard to get ahead, don’t lose sight of what’s most important – your family.
