With so many two
income and single parent families these days, parents are finding it
increasingly difficult to achieve a balance between work, family and
personal time. Regrettably, working parents try so hard to succeed at
their duel role of parenting and career, that they leave little or no
time for personal leisure and relaxation. Muriel Jarvis is an Executive
Director with Family Services; she believes that eventually this takes
an emotional toll on parents, which could lead to high levels of stress
and have an adverse impact on the children and
relationships with your spouse or partner. After working a long day,
parents come home to children who need their full attention - so many
parents feel guilty about taking personal time for themselves. But
"in order to feel balance in your life, it's essential to take
quality time for yourself and find a balance at home first, says Mrs.
Jarvis, this will help you find balance in the other parts of your
life." Here are some ways you can bring balance to your life:
Find time for you:
Research has shown that people who spend too much time at work may be
less productive than those who take personal time to recharge. Whether
it's enjoying a hobby or going for a walk - try to take at least three
hours a week for your own personal enjoyment; otherwise you will become
exhausted and unhappy over time. If you don't have anyone to watch the
children while you take this time, try to set up a network of friends
that can take turns watching each other's children to allow everyone
some time for personal leisure. Ask around your child's daycare, school
or at moms and tots programs for parents who are interested in starting
an arrangement.
Cooperation and Communication:
Achieving balance will take good communication skills and cooperation
from everyone. Express your needs and expectations with your family and
discuss ways of how chores around the house can be shared. Even young
children can pitch in with setting the table and picking up their toys
for example. Delegating chores will take time and effort in the
beginning, but will pay off in time saved.
Reorganize your limits and set priorities:
Between raising a family, managing a home, and working, there's a limit
to what you can do, so if you are feeling bogged down with work and
family responsibilities and there are conflicting demands on your time -
ask your family to help you revaluate priorities. Remember that asking
for help does not mean that you are lacking ability in any way; rather
it shows the people around you that you care. At work, discuss with your
Supervisor the workload you think you can reasonably handle.
Reorganizing your limits can also help reduce negative stress in your
life.
Learn to say
"No":
Do you find it hard to say no? It's flattering when people ask for our
help - and we all like to be needed. But if you say yes to everyone,
eventually you will become besieged with responsibility and have little
or no time left for personal and family needs. This also applies to your
children, these days children seem to be overly involved in extra-cur ricular activities - sit down with your family and decide is it
really necessary to spend so much time on these extra activities? Establish
what is important to each member of the family. Start by listing what
needs to be done and then focus on recreational activities. Suggest that
each family member choose one or two outside activities rather than
being overly involved in too many.
Have parent time:
Set aside time at least once a week for just you and your mate, after
all, it's your relationship that is the foundation of the family so it
needs nourishment. The encouragement and support you receive from each
other will help bring balance to your life and family.
Balancing your family and work life will require some time and patience
from everyone in the beginning, but with teamwork, good communication
and organization, you will see many positive results in the long run.
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