The return to work: Tips for balancing your new world of career and family life - Women's Agenda

The return to work: Tips for balancing your new world of career and family life

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Thankfully, balancing a great career and family is now possible. But it’s not always easy, particularly in the early years as new mothers and fathers return to work while managing a new world of interrupted sleep, child care drop-offs and the absolute necessity to leave work on time.

These can be difficult, exhausting and hectic times. If you find yourself struggling to balance your career and family life, the below tips can help:

Let go of the guilt. First up, forget the guilt that afflicts too many new parents upon returning to busy careers. This is a waste of time and energy. Many new parents have done this before you (and are more than willing to provide some advice and help) and there are plenty of benefits your children will experience from you being back at work.

Seek networks and support. The return to work is busy, but it’s still worthwhile pursuing networking events and other opportunities to meet like-minded people. Find mentors who can talk you through this transition in your life, and other like-minded parents who can share how they’re coping. You might also want to consider investing in a coach.

Get your mornings organised. Most mornings are quite hectic for parents with young children, whether mum and dad are working or not. To help, consider what can be done the night before, such as laying out clothes and backpacks, and even getting breakfast cereal on the table. If you’ve got young kids that have moved on from breast milk but are still taking bottles, preparing Goat’s milk formula is a quick and easy option for getting on with your morning.

Create a Family Calendar. Managing work and caring arrangements can get complicated — and therefore confusing for kids. A family calendar can help, and give children a better idea of what to expect when — such as whether it’s a childcare day, a mummy day, daddy day, grandparent day, a swimming lesson day, or something else. It also keeps everyone in the loop of upcoming appointments and deadlines. Keep the calendar visible, and in a location where family members tend to gather. It should be accessible at all times, so keep a pen handy.

Spend time with your partner and friends. Some of us can get so focussed on spending our time outside of work with our kids that we can forget to work on our relationships. Schedule in date nights with your partner, as well as coffee catch-ups with friends and families.

Organise special family activities. When time with the family is limited, you want to get the most out of it. Think about organising and scheduling great family activities with the family — things you can talk about with the kids beforehand to get them excited about what’s coming up, and events that will provide moments you’ll always remember.

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