Who says being a superparent is one easy job? It is already difficult to handle several work-related tasks. Most definitely, work becomes more daunting if kids are around. But that does not mean you can’t manage both huge responsibilities especially if you are armed with these tips:
1. Try to have a flexible schedule.
It is common for companies these days to offer telecommuting positions to their employees. You can do your job at home for a day or two and report to the office for the remainder of the working week. It is considered a benefit. But telecommuting is at hand to actually help firms cut costs. So it’s a win-win-win solution for you, the company, and your kids.
As a parent, having a flexible schedule will be an advantage to you as you can have some time with your kids.
2. Free your weekends.
When it comes to work, consider Saturdays and Sundays holy and free. These are the best times to go out with your family or simply bond with your children. You can watch their weekend soccer or basketball games, play videogames, read great books together, watch movies, and other activities you may never get to do when you are working. This way, you will also notice that you feel refreshed the following Monday.
3. Leave your work at the office.
If you are reporting to an office, make it a point to not bring any workload at home. Consider it a sacred place where you can relax. This also helps you free up some time before going to bed and talk to your kids about school and their personal lives. You will also feel de-stressed. If you really really need to bring your job at home, check tip number four below.
4. Consider working at home.
Check the Internet. There are already plenty of work-at-home jobs you can take. This allows you to set up a home office where you can immediately check your kids anytime you like. But you should still detach your working time with your kids’ time. You can do this by separating your workspace from the rest of the house. Have a wall divider or a customized door and tell your kids you should not be disturbed on a certain time because you are working. For more of this, read tip number five below.
5. Work when it is time to do so.
You will never get to have anything done if you constantly allow your children to disturb you when you are working. Unless it is an absolute emergency, make sure your working time is focused on the tasks at hand. This way, you do not end up extending your working hours.
6. Develop a schedule.
As much as possible, allocate a good time to be with your children every day. It does not have to be long. In fact, 1 hour is already enough. After all, the most important is the quality of time, not the quantity.
7. Be sweet.
You don’t have to do anything grand just to tell your kids you love them. Before going to work, a note posted on the refrigerator, a hearty breakfast once they wake up, or a short stroll on the park on the way to school will be enough to make them feel you have not forgotten them.
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This article seems a bit “pie in the sky”. My previous jobs plus my current place have all been against working from home, unless it was outside of/in addition to business hours. As I have been asking about telecommuting options in my current work search, it sounds like there is a prepared script, “My boss is a bit old fashioned, telecommuting is not allowed.”
I guess this article writer presumes that the employee has more control than I am used to seeing. Hopefully I can find such a work environment.
Great article! I knew people who couldn’t make time for anyone and they worked full time. This article is helpful if you have no kids either like me. I can barely find any jobs that let you have a flexible schedule yet alone telecommuting. I found a job that offer telecommuting but it was offered based on seniority, I was thinking then why place it in the job ad making it look like you were entitled to it once you were hired?
What’s wrong with “pie in the sky”? Personally I think everyone should have a goal to live their Utopian life.
I know that most people will throw in the word “realistic” at this point but you really can achieve the life you want and it all starts with believing it can happen.
I do agree that I think this article might seem like a bit of a stretch when taken from the view point of an employee. It’s true, employees do have little control.
Here’s the great news though. We are smack dab in the middle of the Information Age and there have never been more opportunities for people to make money from the comfort of their home than ever before. (Even in this failing economy.)
Learning how to make money from home (and I am not talking about a work-at-home job where you are still an employee) can ultimately free a person to live that more desired lifestyle. What’s great about most of these opportunities is that they can be worked around an existing schedule and after the kids go to bed.
Yes, in the beginning it can feel a bit overwhelming and like you’re working against the time balance that you seek but it can/should often lead to an increase in income that allows the family to do more together. Ultimately it may provide enough to transition out of the full-time grind and create a situation where family and free time completely tip the balance. This is often a result because most of these opportunities employ leverage so the amount you make is not tied to the time you work.
To your success! Cheers.
I don’t have kids or anything, but I can see this benefiting people from managing their time even if they have no kids. I am shocked this came up because I met people who work full time and can’t make time for their friends at all.
I do manage time and family with a bit of self discipline and using some time tracking tools like this one.( http://www.timedoctor.com/blog/2010/07/25/how-is-time-doctor-different-than-rescue-time )This is what I personally use where I put my entire task, organize it by priority level, set an amount time to do each task, follow the allotted time to do each task and finish it on time. This is my simple way to manage time between work and family.