Earning a decent wage so you can provide for your family often requires spending a lot more time away from your kids than you would like. Unfortunately, raising a family requires a lot of money, and earning that money usually requires doing a lot of work.
If you start your day by donning a business suit, throwing on a set of nursing scrubs, or getting dressed in another type of uniform, there is a good chance you frequently put in more than a 40-hour work weekly.
Doctors, business executives, firefighters, construction workers, and many other people put in long hours at work. Often, they struggle to juggle their jobs and their families. If this sounds familiar to you, know you are not alone.
To juggle long hours at work and parenting is no easy task. However, it’s something millions of people are forced to do every day. While most would love to spend their days at home with the kids, they’re forced to work long hours to pay bills and cover necessary expenses.
Fortunately, though, there are things you can do to make the balancing act a bit easier. Keep reading to discover some helpful tips.
Set Boundaries at Work
In our always-connected world, it can be difficult to establish clear boundaries and separate your work life from your home life. The lines become especially blurred when you frequently work long hours.
Even if you routinely work 16-hour days, you need to set boundaries so your employer knows when you’re at home. Parenting is your main responsibility.
Establish a schedule that clearly notes what time you arrive at work and what time you leave. This might be tricky at first if you don’t usually work the same hours, but it’s an important step in establishing boundaries and creating a separation between work and parenting.
Get comfortable with saying “no.” Many of us agree to just about anything our bosses ask us to do because we want to earn more money for our families and keep our jobs. Always saying “yes,” however, is a good way to get treated like a doormat and find yourself working way more hours than you’d like.
Work long hours when you are comfortable doing so and say “no” when you’re not.
Rely on Your Village
You’ve probably heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It’s absolutely true. Find your “village” and let them help you. When someone offers to lend a hand, your first instinct may be to decline out of fear of being a burden.
Just like it’s important to learn how to say “no” at work, though, it’s equally important to learn how to say “yes” when someone is offering to help. If your parent offers to take the kids to school, so you have a little more time to get ready in the morning, accept the offer with gratitude.
If you are struggling with keeping up with housework, ask your best friend if she would mind lending a hand. When you need some time for yourself to clear your head, don’t be afraid to ask for help with your kids. Even if you just need someone to talk to or you’re seeking advice, rely on your village.
Make Meal Prep a Priority
When it comes to saving time, keeping your kids well-fed, and ensuring family mealtimes, meal prepping is a must.
Set aside an hour or so each week to plan simple meals and work out a grocery list. Pinterest is a great resource for all sorts of meal prepping ideas.
Once you have all the ingredients, measure and separate them into the correct portions for each meal. This way, making dinner is as simple as throwing all of the ingredients in the oven or in a slow cooker.
It takes a few hours to shop and prep meals in advance, and doing so makes weeknight dinners way easier. Instead of rushing through the drive-thru at dinner time, you’ll be able to enjoy a healthy, home-cooked meal with your family.
Plan, Plan, Plan
When you have a lot of responsibilities, planning ahead is the only way to ensure you get everything done properly. Try to create a consistent schedule at work and build your family’s schedule around it.
When possible, create regular wake-up and bedtimes for your kids. Have dinner at a set time, and plan to do certain activities (like grocery shopping, laundry, etc.) on certain days.
Layout clothing the night before. From your kids’ school clothes to the scrubs you plan on wearing to work, laying everything out in advance saves you time in the morning and helps you ensure you have everything you need.
After all, few things are worse than realizing too late that you are out of clean underwear!
Take Care of Yourself
Taking time away from your family or your job may seem counter-intuitive when trying to juggle long hours at work with parenting, but doing so is vital. Practicing self-care is extremely important.
Taking a step back and focusing on yourself refreshes you and makes you a stronger parent, partner, employee, and friend. Devote at least an hour each week to self-care.
Get your nails done, read a book, or grab brunch with a friend. Do whatever makes you feel great.
Life as a working parent is hard, especially when you work long hours. These tips on how to juggle long hours at work while parenting can make you both a great parent and employee. Just remember to cut yourself some slack on the rough days!
Also, you do not have to do everything yourself, and there are areas of your life that can be simplified by making use of certain smart home gadgets available in the market today.
