Striking a balance between being a parent and managing your career has never been easy. Just listen to Harry Chapin’s 1970s soft-rock staple “Cat’s in the Cradle” to hear the sad tale of a father who missed his child growing up because he was always on the road for work. Of course, this was before email and Zoom existed. For many people, work is a constant presence in their lives, even after traditional office hours.
Ideally, remote work should have made the work-life balance easier to strike. However, as many people have found, work and family life tend to blend together when there are no physical boundaries between them.
This can make it challenging to devote as much time to your children as you might like. Project management professionals and others understand the value of allocating their productivity in the most effective manner, and that applies to family life, as well.
Creating a happy, comforting environment for your family means devoting your full attention to them when the time is right. Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to ensure you’re maintaining a proper balance between your life and your career.
Striking a Balance
Being a committed, engaged employee is essential if you want to be productive, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of your family. You need to be able to establish boundaries that keep your job responsibilities confined to the appropriate times.
For example, if your employer offers remote or hybrid working arrangements, you might consider taking advantage of them. Less time spent commuting means more time for your kids. Setting boundaries includes turning off your work phone and/or laptop after a certain time to prevent distractions.
If you work at home, designate a workspace that you use only for your job. This can help you disengage when it’s time to “punch out”. If you’re able, look for job opportunities with employers that offer childcare or other family support amenities as part of their offerings.
Making Time for Your Little Ones
If you want to be there for your kids and provide them with a happy home environment, it’s important to make an effort. For instance, you could establish one day during the weekend for family activities. Even if you’re playing board games or making dinner together, knowing one day a week will be free for doing things as a family can help build stronger bonds.
The time before bed is also a great opportunity to connect with your children. Maybe read to them before they go to sleep or choose another relaxing activity. It’s also important to collaborate with your partner or spouse to split up household chores or get the kids involved if they’re old enough to help.
Being a parent is almost never easy, especially when you factor in all the demands you have to juggle at work. To learn more about how you can keep a career and a family in balance, see the accompanying resource.
This infographic was created by Michael Page, a recruitment agency for project manager jobs
