The 5 key tips to reconcile work and children

The reconciliation between work and personal life is not always an easy task, and it gets harder when we also have to raise our children. Time organization is very important to be able to do everything we want to do, and if we don't get it, sometimes we feel guilty.

In this article we will expose the key tips to reconcile work and children. Undoubtedly, The pressure to support the family in which the children are growing up is a challenge, especially for women. Many times we are given full responsibility for housework and childcare.

The 5 most important aspects to be able to reconcile work and children

Many mothers get frustrated and blame themselves. They feel that dedicating themselves to their professional careers is something they do with more dedication than being with their children, lacking time to be with them. On the other hand, they have pressure from society itself that forces them to assume both the role of caregiver and worker.

We are aware of the effort involved in raising the family, and that is why from La Guía Femenina we have prepared the 5 key tips to reconcile work and children. The question, as we shall see, is

take care and find the appropriate measures but avoiding the stresses that we do not deserve.

1. Learn to manage time

Surely you feel that time is a scarce commodity and it even seems that it is playing a trick on you, but if we know how to relate well with it, it can be our ally.

Many times we just need a little organization and planning. To do this we first need to detect a time slot / s in which we can think about how we are going to do things and what priority each one of them has.

Dedicating a space in the morning to make lists and organize our actions is a very good idea. In this way we structure ourselves to know when to do the shopping, go to the doctor, take our child to that place, etc. A good option to buy is to take advantage of new technologies and buy online.

2. Get ahead of work

Surely if we think it occurs to us some moment during the day that can help us to advance things. It can only be 20 or 30 minutes, which we can take from different parts of the day, but it can be very useful.

For example, first thing in the morning before anyone wakes up, or also in the last half hour of the day, before going to sleep and when our children are already in bed.

We would also have a certain hour on Sunday, in which we generally take the opportunity to rest. We like to take advantage of the opportunities we have to simply do nothing, but at the moment of truth that extra sofa hour can come in handy to advance things. Thus, for example, on Sunday we can prepare food for the rest of the week; It will help us to have more time and even to be more organized.

Another example to gain efficiency is to take advantage of the last hours of the night to prepare the clothes that we will wear the next day. It is an excellent routine to be more efficient the next day and have something less to think about. Advance work is a key advice to reconcile work and children.

3. Ask for help

That you work is a choice that you have made in which there is a consensus with your partner. But this does not mean that your partner cannot help you more than he is. If you do not arrive with everything, your partner can take on more household functions, after all you are both working.

On the other hand, the most classic help is that of grandparents. If you are still lucky enough to be able to enjoy your parents and they can help you without major problems, going to them is a good possibility to download yourself a little. Grandparents and grandchildren need time together too.

If the children are older you can also ask them to help you more at homeBecause your role does not have to be that of a servant all your life. Setting the table, removing dishes from the dishwasher, sweeping, taking out the trash are basic actions that you can assign them perfectly, and by the way they will learn that in life things do not come made.

4. Be present at every moment

Sometimes we are in one place and our heads are in another. We have to avoid these things. The moment we are in is worth living to the fullest; if we are at work we take care of work, and if we are with our children we enjoy this space.

It is actually a way to be effective. She told your children that when you are at work they can only call you for emergencies, and she tries to express the same at work. That your boss understands that every day in the morning you will be available to attend to what is necessary, but not at night.

5. Make your working hours more flexible

Maybe it's just not possible, but you can ask at work if a more flexible schedule would be an option. It is becoming more and more common, because companies are aware that they have to offer attractive benefits to workers beyond salary to retain them, so don't feel bad about asking yourself.

It really depends on the sector you work in, this is something you can take advantage of or not. If you are really not satisfied in your work and there are options to start somewhere else with a better schedule, it is always interesting to think about it.

One is not predestined to have a specific work life, and sometimes it is we ourselves who push ourselves to carry out a specific path. The fundamental question is work to live, and not the other way around, to enjoy our family, and any reflection and rethinking in this regard is always welcome.

Bibliographic references

• Dell'Antonia, K.J. (2018). How to be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute. New York: Avery Publishing
• Janis-Norton, N. (2012). Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting: The Revolutionary Program That Transforms Family. London: Yellow Kite.