Conquering the Working Parent Battle

The morning rush; we have all experienced it. Encouraging the kids to get dressed, eat, brush their teeth and hair and leave the toys and the TV alone; stressing to get out the door so you’re not late for work and also so your not untimely with their daycare provider’s schedule. Saying your quick goodbyes at daycare drop off to make it as easy as possible. Okay, so you work all day and what happens at 5:00 P.M.? It’s rush hour again. Always trying to maintain a good rapport with your childcare provider, you try not to run past the pick up time, although you still have a pile of deadlines on your desk that are screaming “if you could just finish one last task today.”

The kids are picked up from daycare; you arrive home to a house (not to mention children) that needs attention. Keeping the children occupied while preparing dinner is not an easy task. Neither is keeping up the housework through this whole process. And so on to going through the mail, feeding the cat, eating dinner, quality time with the children, bath time and bedtime. All of this just to get up in the morning and do it all over again! It seems like nothing more than a losing battle. But there are ways to ease the stresses.

1.Hire a maid. Even if it’s only 2-3 days a week. It will be money well spent. Just think of it as buying more time with your children.

2.Use your crock-pot. Throw a package of frozen meat, veggies and a bouillon cube in your crock-pot before you head out the door in the morning. When you get home you have your main course. Now you can whip up some mashed potatoes to go along with it. Other nights try soup and sandwiches. Dinner doesn’t have to be a 5-course meal. Keep it simple.

3.Leave work at 5:00 P.M. Tomorrow is another day and the work will be right there waiting for you. Think of the important people who are waiting to spend some time with you!

4.Start a childcare journal that both you and your childcare provider can write in. Have your provider write down the details of your child’s day that are important to you. Look forward to reading it each evening. This may leave you feeling more connected with your child although away from him or her for 8+ hours a day!

5.Last but not least, take time for yourself. Light a candle and take a hot bath after the kids go to bed. Begin a new relaxing hobby – crafts, sewing – whatever you like. Go to the movies on Wed. night to break up the week.

Maintaining a balance between life and work doesn’t have to leave you feeling hopeless. The Internet contains thousands of parenting sites that contain tips and advice for working parents. Visit them and start conquering the battle today!