ORLANDO, FLA. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — National Working Parents Day is September 16th this year. More than 50 million Americans manage the duties that come with having a job and raising kids. While it’s not always easy, there are some simple ways to ensure your success as both a parent and an employee.
“I have two girls, Lila, who is six and Eve who’s four,” Lindsey Kovaleski describes.
Kovaleski pulls triple duty as a mom, wife, and full-time course director at a university.
“I have always been a working parent,” states Kovaleski.
What’s Lindsey’s secret to having it all? Number one, being honest with her co-workers.
“Speak up, be honest with what’s going on.”
Lindsey also says it’s imperative to share the load.
“My husband comes home from work around five-thirty and he like cooks all the meals. He makes their lunch in the morning.”
Use a shared calendar with your family. Everyone will know what’s happening and when. Use your lunch breaks wisely. Knock out tasks like scheduling doctor appointments, communicating with teachers, or filling out school paperwork. Also, get your kids involved with chores. The extra help will save everyone time. And take care of yourself.
“So that you’re not always just somebody’s employee or somebody’s mom, you gotta be yourself too,” says Kovaleski.
Focus on quality time. One survey found kids cared less about the amount of time parents spent with them and more about the quality. 30-percent wished their parents were not so stressed out or tired. Lindsay says the most important reason she continues to work is for her daughters.
“I’m a woman. I’m out there working. I am raising two daughters, so I want them to see that, we both carry the load.”
Carpooling is another great way to save time. According to a survey by hop-skip-drive, 51 percent of parents spend more than five hours a week driving their kids around. You may want to reach out to other parents in your neighborhood to see if you can save time and share driving responsibilities.
Sources:
https://hbr.org/2019/07/a-working-parents-survival-guide
https://www.careeraddict.com/working-parent
https://www.mother.ly/parenting/teaching-children-to-lose-graciously/
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/7-habits-successful-working-parents.html
Contributors to this news report includes: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor.
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