How to be a Working Parent

Oct, 10 2022

Work-life balance is something that most people struggle with, in our country. If you have children, work-life balance comes even harder. Ours is a country that thrives on hustle culture and most of us need to be a part of it to sustain ourselves and our families. The times will certainly change for the coming generations but only if we become the chain breakers.

As working parents, you can start by learning techniques that reduce stress and help you in both your personal and professional roles of adulthood. Think about the challenges that you face like transitions, communication, identity crisis, raising your kids right, time management, etc. Narrow them down according to your priorities and start by working on what’s important to you. You need to know that most of these challenges are never 100% resolved but can be mitigated and managed.

Here are some pointers that will help you become better at your work-life balance.

Spend quality time with your children

Remember why you are working and following your ambitions. It’s for both you and your children. So, spend time with them. Exercise, play, read or watch shows with them. Talk to them about your day and ask them about theirs because believe it or not, once they fly out of their nests, you are going to miss it all.

Plan

Planning is important for a healthy life whether or not you are a working parent. However, it becomes even more necessary when you have children to think about.

- Make a calendar or a task chart and highlight commitments, tasks and obligations that can be put off.

- If you’re ordering household products or shopping on a daily basis, set up a regular delivery or a shopping day. Create lists so that you know what you would need and when.

- Learn to say no to people when you need to.

- Take charge and convey your plans.

Frame and reframe

People often worry about what their colleagues would think or what their bosses would think when they ask for time off. It can leave them in a fix. When you are at work, what’s happening with your child may bother you and when you’re at home, work deadlines can bother you. This will make you feel exhausted and burnt out.

- Try to keep your narrative positive and authentic and focus on the task at hand. Avoid thinking about what is happening on the other side.

- Instead of using sentences like, “I am headed out right now and will join you guys later…” for your child’s PTA, try using sentences like, “I look forward to the meeting in the next few hours.” Try to give a reason wherever it is possible

Define and redefine yourself

You must remember, that once you are a parent, you are not going to be one. As working people, parenthood may feel difficult. But remember, you don’t need to put a break to your ambitions, the timelines may change and their methods of achieving goals may also change, be open to changes, and try not to be rigid in accepting new challenges with out-of-the-box solutions. You need to define and redefine yourself and your method of working as time progresses.

Take help

Don’t shy away when it comes to asking for help. We are lucky that we live in India, people here are extremely supportive, especially the family. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from the people you trust.

- Find the right childcare that fits your office hours.

- Look for full-time house helps, nannies or ayahs.

- Share the load with your partner.

Organise finances

Learn how to manage finances. Help sometimes also comes at a price. Raising children is an expensive but fruitful process. It will teach you many lessons and one of the lessons should be managing finances. You can read books, watch videos or listen to podcasts that help you with organising your finances.