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Balancing a family and working full time can be difficult. As a dedicated caregiver to your family, you try to spend as much time and effort on your career as you do on your family. However, sometimes ‘worry’ and ‘success’ come at the expense of family harmony or the personal growth of children. Here are five unique pieces of advice for reconciling work and family:
1. Recognize that there is no such thing as a “perfect” work-life balance
When you hear “work-life balance,” you probably imagine a productive day at work, followed by an early departure to spend the rest of the day with friends and family. This is a nice thought, but it is not always realistic. If you want to achieve a satisfying balance between your professional and personal obligations, aim for a realistic schedule rather than a flawless schedule. There will always be “more work to do”. It is important to balance your life by making time for your interests and loved ones every day rather than relying on long periods of time at home or out of the office.
Related: 15 Ways To Better Manage Your Work-Life Balance As A Parent And londonbusinessblog.com
2. Create a digital connection with your teen and make them laugh
As parents, we want to promote less screen time, but creating a digital connection with your teen in today’s digital age is important too. You will inevitably have to stay at the office late, miss dinner with your family, or cancel plans at some point. This is where a digital connection with your teen can help a little. That could mean sending them funny Instagram filter videos or even Snapchat filter videos. You want to try and connect with them at their level where they connect with their friends digitally. This can take less than five minutes and can make all the difference. Maybe you should learn some of their lingos and surprise them. Brace yourself – this is going to sound a little strange. But here are some foreignbut current phrases you can learn: “sus,” “cap” and “bet.”
Suus (pronounced as suhs) means there is something suspicious.
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Example: “Sidney, why are you acting like this? Sun suddenly?”
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Example: “Sidney, you can be honest with me. You don’t have to do anything Sun – you know that I love you.
cap means something isn’t true, it’s a lie, or you don’t believe it.
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Example: “Jeremy, don’t cap†You know you haven’t studied a full hour.”
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Example: “Jeremy, we both know that… cap†Just be honest with me.”
Effort means “okay” or “deal” or “sure, let’s do it.”
- Example: “Okay, Cody, EFFORT†After you finish your homework tonight, you can play video games for 90 minutes longer.”
If you’re trying to get your teen to laugh (or to look at you funny), try using a few in one sentence.
- Example: “Andy, I know you want to play video games with your friends. So stop capping about how much you studied. you behave very Sun †I see right through you.
Be prepared for your teen to look at you very funny and maybe roll his eyes and smile at you when he uses one of these words, but always say them with a smile. The point of using their lingo is to connect with them on a different, albeit arbitrary, level.
Related: 8 Ways to Reduce the Stress of Balancing Work and Family
3. Family dinner – as much as possible – WITHOUT phones
The family dinner is a time to gather around the table and disconnect our collective from the world. This allows you to have one-on-one time with your kids (and loved ones) to learn about their days and it’s a perfect time to laugh together over some food. Do your best as a parent to be positive during this time with your family. DO YOUR BEST to make this time about your family and NOT your job.
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Make a strict NO TELEPHONE rule at dinner so that everyone is present. You may get some reluctance from your adolescent relatives about not using the phone at dinner because of: teen phone addiction†This is actually called nomophobia, which means ‘no mobile phobia’. It’s the fear of being disconnected or disconnected from your phone.
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Be sure to ask for details about your teen’s day and follow up on the questions you’ve been asking the previous days.
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Ask about their friends, teachers, classes, and sports if they play them.
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Stay involved in their lives. Not just ‘ask to ask’. Be genuinely interested and listen to what they say.
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Learn about what’s about to happen in their lives that turns them on.
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Find out what you can do to encourage, motivate and make them think creatively.
4. Create a Strategy and Routine – AND FOLLOW IT
Strategizing is hard when you have a million things to do at work and in the family, especially when new variable situations are always popping up out of nowhere. But thinking about creating a strategy with your “must-have priorities” cannot be overemphasized. Some things will fall off your list due to variation in your days, but there are important goals that need to be accomplished off the list, and others can carry over into the morning. Do your best not to consistently jeopardize your family promises. Occasionally is understandable, but our world is built on consistency, and your family will notice.
Related: 5 Essential Strategies for a Blissful Work-Family Balance
5. Disconnection is important and recommended
Shutting down the digital world/work allows us to live in the moment and recover from everyday stress. It also creates mental space to develop new ideas and thoughts. Unplugging can be as simple as putting your phone down at a specific time or practicing meditation.
True disconnection sometimes involves taking vacation leave and putting all work off for a while. Whether you’re on a one-day vacation or a two-week trip with the family, setting aside time to manage your physical and mental health is critical. Taking time off may seem impossible, but you can do it. It will benefit both you and your family.
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