Working Parents – Lets Face It

Let’s face it, being a parent while maintaining a career can feel like having 2 full time jobs!

It’s hard to meet the demands of both and this can sometimes lead to feelings of guilt, inadequacy, or frustration. Amy Morin, a Forbes Magazine contributor, offers these 5 tips for achieving a work-life balance:

1. Ask for help! Consider trading some tasks or responsibilities; take the children to an activity scheduled on a weekend as a trade for driving them to sports practice on a weekday.
2. It is not a 50-50 split every day. Sometimes you have to give a bit more to work and other times to family. Be flexible and evaluate your work-life balance.
3. Take care of yourself-so you have the energy to meet your work responsibilities and take care of the needs of your family.
4. Give your children responsibilities such as chores and have expectations with appropriate consequences. It will pay off now and, in the future, as they will have learned the value of being responsible to themselves and others.
5. Guilt is a natural emotion but not a productive one. Instead of feeling guilty about having to work, think about ways to problem-solve your challenges and remain flexible.

www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/01/20/the-five-things-successful-working-parents-giveup-to-reach-a-work-life-balance

Activities for the Whole Family to Enjoy

Activities for the Whole Family to Enjoy

Reggie Madison wrote a blog on the First Things First website called, “20 Fun Ways (and a bonus) To End 2020 On A High Note With Your Family.” Although the intention is focused on ending 2020, most of the activities are not bound to a time and place. And let’s face it, having some fun in this COVID-19 pandemic environment is a welcome respite from our worries and isolation.

Julie Baumgardner, (First Things First) writes, while engaging in fun activities you are also, “teaching your children, listening to them, letting them lead, laughing together, modeling how to be a good loser and a humble winner, how to share, what to do when you disagree and how to be a good team player—just to name a few.”

Now that we have considered the benefits let’s look at some ways to engage in some family fun.

1. Have a family karaoke night
2. Learn and play a new game
3. Have a family meal night-plan, cook and clean up with everyone taking a role
4. Create and write a family story together
5. List what you’ve learned about yourself or your family from A-Z. A: We’re Appreciative of each other. B: We’re Bad at Board Games. C: Cook good meals, etc.
6. Build a fort and camp out in your own home

For the complete list of 20+ suggestions go to:
20 Fun Ways (And A Bonus) To End 2020 On A High Note With Your Family – First Things First

And here are a few additional ideas:

1. Divide your community up into sections and find a park/trail/path in each section to walk and explore (following the current health care measures and restrictions)
2. Gather some pinecones, slather with creamy peanut butter, roll them in birdseed and hang them outside your window so you can watch the birds.
3. Take an online tour of a museum or art gallery; view a virtual concert
4. Check out your local library for available online family activities

What can you add to the list? Take a moment to share your favourite activities with your co-workers.

Working Parents – Resources For Working Parents

Resources for Working Parents:

Federal Government Family Benefits

www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/family.html

Ontario Government Resources

www.ontario.ca/page/parents

Manitoba Government Resources

www.residents.gov.mb.ca/parent.html

Parenting Resources:

Mental Health Supports for Parents and Families

www.firstthings.org/coronavirus-resources-parenting

www.irstthings.org/how-not-to-let-parenting-stress-take-over-your-life

www.parkview.com/community/dashboard/dealing-with-parenting-stressduring-covid-19

Article on Supporting Children’s Online Education:

www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/parenting-and-culture/202008/parents-involvement-in-children-s-education