It’s very common to hear people discuss the importance of “work-life balance” during these busy times. While that usually refers to not over-working at the expense of your personal life, it’s perhaps most important for parents of young children.
What are some strategies for managing the many obligations of a working parent?
Ways to Balance Work and Parenting
Don’t Dwell on Guilt, Anxiety, & Perfectionism
It’s easy to slide into perfectionism as a parent. If you think about the work volume of taking care of a sick child, teaching them new skills, child-proofing your residence, and beyond, it can seem like too much responsibility. Then, it’s common to experience guilt, anxiety, and excessive stress when you think you’ve failed. Don’t let these emotions and scruples get out of hand without addressing them (including with the help of others).
Stress Management & Relaxation Techniques
With that last point in mind, you should invest in a few beneficial stress-management activities. Set aside some time for recreation, prayer and meditation, exercise, quiet time with your spouse, and sleep (oh, how many forget that last one!). In other words, your life cannot be 100% consumed by working and parenting.
Define Success Properly
What are your true ambitions in life? Parents may need to approach this question much differently from childless adults. For example, consider carefully whether you would benefit from career advancement if it would force you to work 70+ hours, taking you away from home too often.
Learn to Delegate Tasks
Here’s a critical skill that should involve delegating duties to others (both at work and at home). Prudent parents should learn how to share work (or at least ask for help) from their coworkers, friends, subordinates, and even some of the older children. This may be the only way to maintain one’s sanity in larger families (remember to get your teenagers in charge of chores and helping the little ones).
Practice Gratitude
It’s also helpful for us to slow down periodically and remember the tremendous blessing of having children. While it may be overwhelming sometimes, it’s still the greatest gift and privilege bestowed upon us. So, whenever the weight of the world seems like it’s crushing you, try to recall why you endure all of it: for the love of your family.
Greeley Preschool: Helping You with Dependable Child Care
Our goal is to support your working/parenting efforts with dedicated childcare resources. This includes preschool, toddler care, and grade school education, covering a range of ages and developmental needs.
ABC Central Development Center seeks to alleviate some of your work-life trials with caring and professional childcare service. If you’d like to learn more, then please reach us anytime by calling (970) 352-2222 .