Many people consider being a parent a job in and of itself. Couple this with another full-time job, and you may feel like there are just not enough hours in the day. But you wouldn’t be alone in thinking this. 56% of working parents say it’s difficult for them to balance the responsibilities of their job and family.
Some of the biggest challenges working parent’s face include:
Time-management
Work-life balance
Having personal time
Getting quality time with kids
Communication
Solutions
Identify priorities
As a working parent, you will likely be making sacrifices in either your personal life or career. So, pick what matters most to you, whether that be friends, family, work, or personal time. Set boundaries on what infringements from other areas of your life you will or won’t allow. For example, when your child gets sick, you may vow to take the day off from work to care for your child at home.
Get a calendar
Your time is precious. So, making sure you are able to get certain tasks done while still having time for things you enjoy is essential. Sit down with a calendar and schedule ahead as much as you can. This will help you visualize what weeks you will be the busiest and aid in time-management. Include your partner in this process too!
Communicate with others
Talk with your employer so they are aware of your new circumstance. If you find that your productivity at work has been strongly impacted, come up with a course of action to fix this. Make sure to communicate to your boss that this plan will benefit the company just as much as it is benefitting you.
If you have a partner, speak with them about sharing the parenting load. Similar to your career, you and your partner should agree on a plan of action. Decide who will be responsible for certain parenting duties so there is a mutually agreeable workload for both.
Consider alternative work hours
Working hours almost never fully align with the school hours of children. To avoid before or aftercare costs and get more quality time with your child, consider switching to a work schedule that allows you to be home more often and work when it fits according to your schedule.
Part-time: Hours are flexible in many part-time jobs, with workweeks ranging from 10 to 35 hours a week.
Flextime: Some employers offer flexible schedules for their workers. You can choose to work from 7 am to 3 pm instead of a traditionally 9 am to 5 pm job.
Remote work: More companies are offering remote positions in 2020 than ever before. Use this industry shift to your advantage as a working parent.
