Childcare Considerations for Working Parents
Keeping a work-life balance is one of the biggest challenges for working parents. But it’s also one of the most rewarding.
It can feel overwhelming at times, but there are ways to make your life a little easier and more manageable. Using these tips, you can find peace of mind and keep your family and your career on track.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is crucial for working parents and can make a big difference if a childcare emergency arises. It also gives you the ability to handle unexpected situations more quickly and maximize your productivity.
One of the best ways to plan ahead is by setting priorities and deciding what is important to you. This might mean scheduling time for fitness, reading, or crafting — anything that gets you excited and brings you joy.
Once you have these things scheduled, your work life will flow more smoothly and your kids’ schedules won’t be as chaotic. For example, if you know that it’s important for you to have an hour of focused work each day, try to stick to that time frame.
You may also consider asking family members to watch your children for a few hours while you run errands or do chores. Or you can ask a friend or partner to trade shifts with you so that you can both focus on your job.
The more friends and resources you have that can help, the better prepared you’ll be for any childcare emergencies that come your way. It takes time to build a network of support, but it can make a world of difference in your ability to get through a childcare crisis without falling apart.
Make Time For Family
Whether you work full-time or part-time, finding the balance between work commitments and family time can be tricky. Regardless of your work schedule, making time for family is important to establish healthy, strong bonds with your kids and build relationships that last a lifetime.
The most effective way to make time for family is to be intentional about spending quality time together. That means planning a specific time each week for family time. That could be a movie night, a meal together, or a weekly bike ride.
In addition, you need to plan your work schedules and childcare responsibilities ahead of time so that you can manage everything in a seamless manner. This includes importing the school or childcare center’s calendar into your personal calendars at the beginning of the year so that you can be informed about events that might overlap with your family schedule.
Another key aspect of planning your schedule is to create a family calendar where you can write down everything that needs to be done on a regular basis (i.e. who gets the kids dressed and ready for school, who buys groceries, etc.) and share it with your partner or babysitter so that everyone is aware of what needs to be accomplished on any given day.
Stay Connected
If you work in a field where you travel often or spend lots of time on the road, it can be easy to feel disconnected from your family. It’s not uncommon for parents to go weeks, or even months, without seeing their children.
That’s why it’s important to stay connected. There are many ways to do so, including video chats with co-parents and at-home caregivers, texting photos or videos, and calling or emailing their kids.
One dad I know works long hours at his job and tries to keep in touch with his two-year-old son by video chatting a few times a week. He also makes it a point to spend some time with his son at home each day.
The best way to do this is to schedule a few minutes each workday when you can talk with your child face-to-face or on the phone. You’ll feel more relaxed and enjoy the opportunity to connect with your child if you do it at a regular time.
Keeping in touch with old colleagues and friends can be difficult when you’re working all the time, but it’s worth a try. Send out personal emails, make a point of attending professional association meetings, and find a way to meet with your former boss (even if it’s just for lunch) once in a while.
Set Limits
Setting limits is an important part of parenting. It teaches kids self-discipline and core family values, and it helps them grow up healthy and independent.
It also teaches them how to make good decisions and respect others’ boundaries. It can take time for children to learn and develop these skills, so it’s important to be patient and consistent with your expectations.
When setting a limit, be sure to explain it clearly and in a positive way so that your child knows what to expect. If you are setting a limit on screen time, for example, tell them how much time they have left and what will happen if they exceed it.
Remember that it’s normal for children to test their limits, so they may need to be told multiple times before they understand the limit or decide not to test it.
If your child does push back, give warnings before setting a limit, then follow through with consequences if they don’t listen. You can also ask for feedback from your child.
Sometimes a firm and consistent limit can feel rigid to parents who have been used to a looser household, but consistency is key for children’s development and well-being. If you are unsure how to balance kind and firm limits, check out our Positive Parenting First Five Years class.
Be Consistent
Consistency in rules, routines, and consequences is important for children. It provides them with a sense of security and allows them to adapt to unexpected changes as they learn to understand the underlying expectations.
It also helps them develop a clear idea of what their parents expect from them and how they can work within that structure to achieve their goals. When it comes to discipline, being consistent means responding in the same way when they misbehave.
However, being consistent isn’t always easy, especially when you are tired and in a rush. It can be tempting to let your kids’ behavior slide in favor of expediency, but it is an important investment in their development that will pay off in the long run.
If you are consistently punished for bad behaviors, your child will be less likely to misbehave in the future. It can be difficult to keep track of all your child’s behaviors, but being consistent in a clear and consistent manner is the most effective way to raise confident, responsible, and secure children.
Keeping a family calendar with all of the work schedules, appointments, and commitments in one place is a great idea. It is a good way to keep track of everyone’s needs and help you prioritize your priorities as a working parent.
Be Flexible
Flexibility is a valuable trait in the workplace because it allows employees to change their approach to a task without disrupting their productivity or negatively impacting their ability to work with others. It also opens up possibilities in your career as you can learn new skills or assume new responsibilities, helping you reach your long-term goals and objectives.
One of the biggest challenges working parents face is being flexible when it comes to childcare. While it may be easy to plan out your child-care schedule ahead of time, it can be a lot more challenging to accommodate an unexpected illness or emergency.
For example, imagine you’re scheduled to have a meeting at lunchtime and suddenly, the school calls to say that your child is sick. Would you be able to reschedule?
If you don’t have a backup plan, it could take a huge toll on your performance and your work relationships. This is why it’s so important to be flexible when it comes to child care.
A good place to start is by establishing a written flexible-work policy. This will ensure that you have a clear set of guidelines and expectations for your team. Once that’s in place, you can create more atypical schedules when necessary and trust your team members to meet their obligations.
Make Time For Yourself
Many working parents put their own needs on hold in order to take care of their children. However, you need to remember that your own mental health is just as important as your children’s. So, take time to relax and enjoy some me-time.
One way to do this is to learn how to timebox your daily tasks and activities. This can help you avoid letting them pile up and leave you feeling overwhelmed.
Another strategy is to rely on others for support whenever possible. For example, you can enlist your friends or partner to babysit your kids for a few hours while you get some work done. Or, you could hire a babysitter to look after your children while you’re out on a date.
It’s also a good idea to ask your boss and colleagues if they are comfortable with the fact that you have children and need to work flexible hours. This is particularly helpful if you plan to take a business trip or need to work longer hours on certain days of the week. Your team will appreciate that you are planning ahead, and they’ll be able to help you sort out backup childcare.
