It’s not always easy to be a working parent. After all, balancing a career and kids is not for the faint of heart.
Although there are many joys in raising children, parents who need and/or want to work can face some serious obstacles. We’re taking a look at six of the biggest challenges for working parents, and potential solutions for overcoming the obstacles.
You’ll still need child care, whether you work remotely or not.
Working parents who have previously held office jobs know what a juggling act it is to get their kids to school, get to work, be there for the 3:00 pickup, and get home. So when you get hired for a remote job, you might think that you can kiss your daycare bill goodbye. Well, think again.
Even if you have a remote job (and kids who aren’t in school yet), you’re still going to need some type of kid coverage, whether it’s a daycare, a nanny/babysitter, a babysitting collective, and so on. The good news is that with the flexibility of a work-from-home job, you’ll probably have more opportunities to connect with your child, like having lunch with them or being there to meet them at the bus.
You never feel like you’re giving it your all.
Most days, you feel like a hamster running on a wheel. Other days, though, you’re flying off the wheel and crashing to the ground. You beat yourself up about not being able to give your all to everything (and everyone) all at the same time. In order to not have a nervous breakdown, you have to put things in perspective.
Some days, you’re going to have to give more to your job and the kids will eat a pepperoni pizza for dinner (and possibly the next morning for breakfast)—and that’s okay. Likewise, there will be times when your kids command your attention, and you’ll have to put your work—and your phone—down so you can enjoy these lovely creatures you’ve created. Like almost everything in life, eventually, it all balances out the way it’s supposed to.
Your dedication might come into question.
Let’s say that you’re a rock star at your job. But one bad bout of the flu has your kid out of commission for a couple of weeks—and you scrambling to cover your workload. Thing is, if you need to take extended days off to care for your child, your boss may question your dedication to your job.
So if your personal life takes over for a while, have a discussion with your boss. Let him or her know what’s going on, and how you plan to handle your workload until things simmer down. Keeping your manager in the loop (as opposed to trying to avoid saying anything) can help calm fears and reinforce your competence as a remote worker.
You might be judged unfairly by your coworkers or passed over by your employer.
When you clock out of work promptly at 5:00, some of your colleagues who are still working might shoot you the stink eye. They might feel that it’s unfair that you get to leave just because you have kids. And some not-so-kid-friendly bosses might feel the same way. This tension can cause a bad dynamic in the office, and potentially prevent you from being included in important tasks or even be passed over for a promotion.
If you are a working parent with a traditional office job, it can be tricky to convince your colleagues you’re working just as hard as they are if you’re leaving the office before they do. So let your work speak for itself. You might have to log in some extra hours after the kiddos go to bed in order to finish tasks, but be sure that the quality of your work isn’t compromised simply because you’re a working mom or dad. Eventually, your coworkers will see that you’re getting all your work done and still leaving on time—which might cause them to rethink all that time they’re spending surfing social media when they should be working.
Transitioning from work to home can be tough.
Some working parents continue to work even after they’ve left the office for the day. They might be answering emails on the train, doing some research on the bus, or even meeting a client after work before heading home. That’s why they might find it challenging to turn off work once they enter their front door.
In order to have work-life balance, though, you have to be present. That means when you’re at work, you’re focused on the task at hand. And when you’re home, it’s all about the quality time with the kiddos, from finding out how their day went to making dinner together.
It can be almost impossible to find time for yourself.
Between work and family, working parents might find it a near-impossibility to have time to breathe, much less do something special for themselves. But if you want to avoid burnout, you absolutely have to take time for self-care. It can be anything from going for a run early in the morning to clear your mind to a sudsy bubble bath late at night when the kids are in bed. If your calendar is crazy, schedule time for yourself if need be. Even 15 minutes a day can be enough to relax your body and mind and help you feel refreshed.
