Today’s busy pace of life has required most parents to find work in order to maintain a good quality of life. But this, in turn, has meant having much less time to share with their children , which can become a complex issue for many.
In response to this situation, more and more companies are seeking to make their schedules more flexible or apply strategies that allow their employees to have more time for themselves and their families, understanding the importance of the psychological and social aspects of individuals.
However, this is not always the case, and this is when difficulties appear in reconciling family life and professional life. In this article we give you some ideas to improve work- family balance and make the most of time with your children .
“While we try to teach our children everything about life, our children teach us what life is about.”
-Angela Schwindt-
How to improve work-family balance and make the most of time with children
Make adjustments if possible
In some jobs you can make some adjustments with your hours; if so, try to leave a longer time to share with your children, but yes, keep in mind that to be able to do this you must be sure that you can carry out all your work activities.
So you have to perform well at your job to propose a change or flexibility in your hours of activity . An excellent option may be to work from home, even for a few hours, but keep in mind that in order to do so you must organize your time well.
Identify what options you have at the work level (leave of absence, vacations, permits…)
When reconciling, it is also important to know what options we have at work regarding the issue of vacations, maternity leave, etc.
Here it can be helpful for you to get advice from a professional; however, we leave some options that should be taken into account , and to which you are entitled:
- maternity and paternity leave
It includes the 16-week rest period to which the mother or father is entitled after childbirth, or in the case of adoption or foster care, and for which they receive an economic benefit that compensates for the income they lose by temporarily ceasing their activity. .
- nursing leave
After maternity leave, you can avail yourself of nursing leave: in addition, the mother (and also the father) can be absent from work for one hour (or two half hours a day), or reduce the working day by half an hour at the beginning or the departure, until the baby is nine months old.
- Accumulate vacations
In the event that you are expecting a child, and once you know the approximate date of delivery, you can reserve days off to enjoy them after maternity leave, even when the year to which they belong has ended.
- excess
As a general rule, if you have been in the company for more than a year, you can stop working for a limited time (without pay), until the child turns three , keeping the right to join when your leave of absence ends.
- Reduction of the working day
This can be done between an eighth and a half of your hours, with the proportional decrease in your salary. This reduced schedule can be maintained until your child turns 12 years old.
let go of the blame
It is quite common, in the cases of working parents, to experience guilt for not spending enough time with their children or for feeling that we are paying more attention to work and spending less and less time with our little ones.
This feeling can become very overwhelming, and even promote high levels of stress and anxiety that can affect our health, and it is precisely for this reason that it is necessary to pay due attention to it.
We need to understand that, although we would like to spend more time with our children, this is not always possible, and that we must adjust according to the circumstances. Letting go of guilt is the first step in moving towards a better balance between work and family life.
Prioritize quality over quantity of time
As it is usual to have little time available due to conciliation difficulties, we must be practical and make the time we spend with our children quality time.
Thus, although both things matter, quality and time, if one of the two “is missing”, we will try to make the most of the time we spend with our children, of enjoyment and disconnection.
“Every day of our lives we make deposits in our children’s memory banks.”
-Charles R. Swindoll-
Some activities to take advantage of the time with your children
How can you develop the previous point? Take advantage of the time you have to listen to them, pay attention to their stories and to talk with them; Don’t underestimate the power of a pleasant chat with your children.
It is not only something special for them, but also rewarding for us. Try activities like:
- Play board games as a family.
- Tell how the day went.
- Play a sport together as a family. It should not be something formal, it can be a simple game in the park.
- Take walks to any nearby and pleasant place .
- Laugh together.
- Eat together. Take advantage of breakfast time and/or dinner to share.
- Create bedtime routines in which you accompany them .
- Do some activity together like reading.
- Sign up for a class or activity with them.
don’t forget about yourself
Although it is very important to spend quality time with our children, it is essential that you do not forget about yourself, although, how easy to say? Among so many daily occupations, it is very common to put ourselves aside and not take time for ourselves, for our enjoyment and well-being.
Always consider a time for yourself, do something you enjoy , it doesn’t have to be something complicated, nor do you have to leave home. They can be small rituals dedicated to you, like your time to take a shower or coffee in the morning.
To the extent that you are good with yourself, you can be good for others and allow yourself to enjoy time with your children, while being able to fulfill all your work activities.
Take a few minutes a day: you matter too
Thus, try to set aside even five minutes a day for yourself, but only for yourself, focusing on something you enjoy without worrying about anything; then you will take care of what you owe.
Sit down and have that cup of tea or coffee calmly , take a short walk enjoying the atmosphere, relax in the shower, etc.
We know that it is not always easy to be able to reconcile work life with time with children, but do not worry, since it is not impossible. With a little effort, practice, patience and a dose of realism (also working on acceptance), we guarantee that you will be able to do it. Courage and enjoy as much as you can!
“Find joy in whatever you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it is your responsibility to love it or change it.”
-Chuck Palahniuk-
Photos | Cover (Pexels)
