4 ideas on managing work and family life
Managing work, family life, and raising children can be challenging.
As a dad and someone who manages a lot of family stuff, it sometimes takes effort to keep track of your work.
Here is what works for me:
1. Don't be shy to ask for help from your family members.
Engage your spouse, siblings, and parents when there's a chance.
Your brother may work near the spot where your son does his judo training. If so, work out a plan where he takes your son there every Wednesday (or whenever).
Keeping your relatives involved will free up your time and make your family closer and more in tune with what's happening.
2. Invest time in teaching your kids to be independent
With a household of 4 (soon to be 5) children, we must ensure our children don't need to be hand-held at every step.
2.1. Show them how to make quick meals for themselves.
Of course, they won't cook a lasagna for themselves or make a 3-course dinner. But show them how to make toast, bake eggs (with bacon, if you're into that), and make cereal.
2.2. Make sure they always have some money on them
Teaching money responsibility to kids is a separate topic, but make sure your child has a spare change in case of an emergency.
2.3. Teach them how to navigate the city
2.3.1. When going places, use public transport and make sure they keep notes of the stops.
2.3.2. Make sure they learn the street names around your home, their school, and where they do extracurricular activities.
When you're out with your family in the city, ask your child(ren) to lead the way home. Ensure you do it over the weekend or when you have time to kill, as it might take a while.
3. Explain the importance of your work to your family
This one deserves a separate discussion, but make sure your family knows how important your work is in your family's life.
The work you do is what puts the food on the table and buys bikes and scooters.
4. Don't fall in love with routines, and be flexible
Yes, I know. The productivity world is all about the routines now. Get up at 04:45, get an infrared red sauna, write a gratitude journal for 63 minutes, do yoga, and get 17 minutes of direct sun exposure.
Routine is all great and will make you feel like you've accomplished a lot by 07:00. But your child may have a nightmare. Another one gets sick. You get the point. The same can happen during the daytime. Be open to the unexpected.
To summarize:
1. Get family members involved in helping you;
2. Teach your kids to be independent (be ready to invest time in that);
3. Make sure to carve some time for uninterrupted (for as long as possible) work;
4. Don't get mad when things don't go as planned
I hope this helps! Happy balancing!