“You don’t have time for me!”
If you are a working parent, is it the most common dialogue heard from your children? If yes, then this blog is for you.
Being a working parent is not an easy task. From juggling through numerous professional duties to looking after their household chores, they are on a journey of balancing both parenthood and professional lives. The working parents go through a lot, and their mind is always on the move of balancing their two lives. Be it involved in their kids’ creative learning to prepare themselves for a healthy professional life, they have a lot of working arrows in their quiver, and are never on a vacation.
Through this blog, we will highlight some challenges faced by working parents and what tips they can implement in their lives to balance their children’s education and work. It will also emphasize the fact that other than online classes and home tuitions, the personal involvement of parents is equally important for their kids.
CHALLENGES OF WORKING PARENTS:
- Disorganized work-life balance:
- Sense of guilt:
- Detachment from kids:
- Half involved participation in their Academic and Non-Academic growth:
For every individual, a perfect balance is important. As parents, they look after their kids’ minute details as well as partake themselves in supervising their studies. And simultaneously, they look after their professional commitments. Being a working parent does not mean that he or she cannot be ambitious. With love and compassion for their home, they also come with passion and diligence for their work. But most often, this leads to a disorganized routine. They struggle with a proper balance as they are mentally occupied with their tasks as well as emotionally engaged with their children. They don’t have the time for their personal life and it takes a lot of anger and frustration.
Nobody can love children more than their parents, and when it comes to mothers, they are the most protective of all! Through research and studies, it has been found out that mothers feel guilt for leaving their children at home for their work. They live in the regret of not being available for their kids and a sense of guilt wrecks their mind for their less participation in their children’s education. Most of the working parents also feel they are selfish for not being available for their kids and it creates difficulties in proceeding forward. They become emotionally weak and a pang of unknown guilt disbalances their professional lives.
One of the most common problems faced by them is they are detached from their kids and the bond is not the same because of their work commitments. Kids require love and extra care which in return create difficulties for working parents. They have to divide their time accordingly to fulfill both their tasks equally. But in most cases, it becomes impossible for parents to give 100% attention to their kids. As a result, they face negative repercussions in the form of anger and frustration.
Because of the professional commitments, parents are not much involved in their kids’ creative learning. As a result, they hire online tutors or home tuitions for them. To be precise, personal guidance is a necessary factor in children’s overall development. Their half-involved participation creates an elusive situation for them.
TIPS TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES:
- Stay patient:
- A proper schedule is important:
- Communication and Comprehension:
- Personal Guidance:
- Spend time with them:
- Get professional counseling:
Working parents must know that patience is the only key. Sometimes, because of the overload of work, they become frustrated, and it has a direct effect on their children’s mental state. From their kids’ personal life to their educational needs, everything is disturbed. In such scenarios, working parents must stay patient. They need to be extra careful with the words they are speaking and the work they are doing to keep their own mental health sane.
Before beginning your day, try to make a plan, and divide your personal and professional chores accordingly. Utilize your morning with your kids at the breakfast table and involve them in your paperwork after your office hour begins. It gives a sense of satisfaction to the kids that priorities are equally distributed. In the same manner, try to avoid work conversations at the dinner table and discuss personal stuff with each other.
With Communication, comprehension is equally important. Parents must take out time to talk to their children and understand what they are trying to say. If they are working from home, a 10-minute heart-to-heart conversation can do wonders. Try to listen to them and divide your time accordingly. Listening can cure half of your problems. Don’t postpone your talking hours and give it to your virtual meet. If in the office, try to talk to them during a break. A call can help a lot!
Even if parents have hired a tutor or have involved their kids in home tuitions, still, try to take out time to check the progress of the children. It can be done weekly or every alternate day. Personal guidance will boost their confidence and will give them a sense of attachment that someone is there for them. They can share your ideas with them and bring a healthy discussion to the table.
It will be strange to know, but working parents sometimes extend their working hours and overuse the technology. Try to turn off your laptops and mobile phones and spend time with your children. Try to complete your work on time and if it is not possible on that day, shift it to the next day. Moreover, do not check your emails after your office hours are over.
Sometimes, it is difficult for parents to bring out the balance. In such a case, professional counseling is needed for parents, too! Try to consult a parent coach or a counselor who can help you with some extra help.
Through these tips, working parents can manage both their work and children’s education.
