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In everything, there needs to be balance.

Regardless of what activities people are juggling, there needs to be stability and equilibrium to ensure optimal benefits. It’s easy to assume tasks are given equal attention and that nothing, especially one’s time for oneself, isn’t compromised. However, there are instances when this is easier said than done, especially when other people are in the picture.

This is precisely why parents find it hard to balance work and family life.

The Challenges of Balancing Work and Family

A day is limited to 24 hours. For working parents, this is reduced to 15 or even less, given they have to spend nine or more hours in their jobs and travel to and from. This number is even reduced to 7 hours, with the presumption that parents are meeting complete and ample rest. With chores to finish and leisure to consider, what should parents do to balance work and family life?

Being a parent is no easy task.

Parenthood means they have to look out for everyone, meeting their comfort but also providing such for their family. Above enduring the physical toll, they also have every other aspect of their and their children’s lives to contemplate.

Parents must ensure their children are physically and mentally cared for, in addition to caring for themselves. They must be present while ensuring they also get time for themselves. They must also provide for their children’s wants and needs, likewise satisfying their cravings.

This is where the unavoidable connection between life and work exists and strengthens.

To ensure their fitness as providers, parents must secure stability in their work and income sources. It’s no wonder that it’s easy to mesh both aspects and complicate the balance between work and life in parenthood. They work hand-in-hand to provide families with comfort. The more parents desire to provide their families with comfort and satisfaction, the more they feel the need to work.

Perhaps achieving a perfect separation between family and work is close to impossible. However, there should be a conscious effort to create healthy boundaries.

How Do Parents Balance Work and Family Life?

Here comes the million-dollar question. With its deeply rooted connection, is it important to keep work and family life separate?

Author Theresa Y. Wee M.D answers this in her memoir full of life lessons from a doctor, wife, and mother. Living in the shoes of someone portraying three roles, she’s more than an excellent source of insightful advice for parents to grasp life better. In her book The Happy, Healthy Revolution, Theresa spotlights the need for parents to balance work and family life.

The concept isn’t new to everyone.

Yet, despite it being a problem that has endured for generations, there hasn’t been enough practical and effective advice people can follow.

What Does Balance Mean?

The lack of actionable advice is primarily spurred by the absence of a concrete definition of what “balance” should mean. For parents, balance can mean spending equal time on work and family. The longer they look at their schedules, the more they’ll realize this simply can’t be achieved. Equating a balance work and family life with its literal definition sets them up for a lifetime of disappointment.

The key to achieving a happy and thriving work and family life isn’t “balance” but integration. They don’t need to have equal time and effort. Instead, parents must be encouraged to prioritize which aspect needs their attention the most. To balance work and family life, they must learn to constantly reprioritize depending on where they’re most needed.

Quitting isn’t an option for parenthood. Hence, the closest action they often end up doing is shutting down. Although balance looks different from one person to another, here are common ways to prevent any complications from happening.

Put Words to Problems

With everything happening all at once, it can be stressful. This can overwhelm parents, who usually end up jumbling their thoughts, pulling them further from arriving at a solution.

The first step for parents to balance work and family life is to verbalize their problems. This can be achieved by writing down what worries them the most when they’re away from their families. Once they’ve identified the problems, they can begin to address them. What would be the best way to work on these? Is there a need to improve or add support?

Communicate Everything

When they say communication is vital, this also works in finding a balance between work and family life. Parents often feel pressured to keep these to themselves for fear of burdening the rest of the family. However, it’s never wrong or a weakness to seek help from others. Let them know what’s weighing and draining energies.

These conversations help gather perspectives parents might have overlooked. They can also help re-establish priorities and realign family values. To ensure everyone in the family is provided for, it’s essential to keep an open and honest line of communication. Honesty makes these conversations sacred, and it also helps balance work and family life.

If you need more resources to find solutions, grab a copy of Theresa Y. Wee’s The Happy, Healthy Revolution. From one working parent to another, Theresa provides valuable insights into family matters.