Working parents struggle to attain work-life blend. They are constantly haunted by the guilt, knowing that they can’t give their little ones their full attention. It can be extremely difficult to stay focused on your job and pursue career development when you can’t help worrying about your child back home.
The good news is that there are some tactics you can try to balance childcare and career improvement.
Find Your Toddler a Reliable Early-learning Community
Most working parents hire a nanny to take care of their toddlers while they work. This is to ensure that their little ones get to stay in the comfort of their homes while they are out trying to make a living. But if you can afford a professional learning community, why not enroll your little one so that they can take advantage of an early-childhood education from one of the best local international schools in your area?
Children aged six and below can receive a special level of care and benefit from an outstanding education offered by a competent institution. You can choose the schedule to better suit your family’s unique situation, be it on a daily or weekly basis. Now, you can finally focus on learning new skills and attend networking events, knowing that you can leave your kid in great and capable hands.
Set Aside Enough Quality Family Time
If you work remotely, make sure to set boundaries. Young kids will have a hard time understanding why you need them not to disturb you during working hours. You may even have online courses after work to expand your knowledge and aid you with your professional development. When it comes to younger kids, you really need to find an additional helping hand so that you can focus on your work.
You may not have the luxury to spend every waking hour with your family. The least you can do is to ensure that your focus is on them whenever it is family time. Set aside time only meant for work, and when it is family time, make sure that you don’t let work interfere. Show your kids that you value every second you spend with them. Schedule a family date night at least once a week, when both parents are present, are not busy answering emails, and are not entertaining phone calls from work.
Recognize Your Kid’s Resilience
Some parents allow their guilt to stop them from chasing after their career goals. But if you undermine your child’s ability to cope, they won’t grow to be strong and resilient. Remember that sometimes you need to be absent to teach your kid how to cope with negative emotions such as frustration. Once they attend school, you will need to leave them so that they can learn to socialize with others. There will be other scenarios where you can’t be with them physically for 24 hours.
Recognize the fact that kids build resilience when faced with an uncomfortable situation. Avoid feeling sorry for needing to provide for the family and wanting to build your career. Don’t underestimate your child’s capability to learn, adapt, and deal with negative emotions. You will need to explain to them why you need to go to work and that you need them to be brave until you get back.
Once you turn into a parent, your priorities change. But this does not necessarily mean you should abandon your dream of moving up the corporate ladder. If you are not willing to give up on your corporate dream just yet, you can use these tips as a guide to balance work and childcare.
