Parenting and the Work-School-Family Balance

Man uses blocks and family figures to demonstrate balancing work and family life.

Yes, unfortunately, it’s true: there are still only 24 hours in a day, and there’s only one of you. So how are you supposed to perform as an employee, as a partner, and, perhaps most critically, as a parent or guardian? An extra day at the end of the seven-day week would be ideal to catch up on things you missed, but there are several strategies you can use to shift your paradigm and turn the work-life-family balance from an elusive dream into a fulfilling reality. 

If any of the above resonated with you, then nothing more needs to be said about the excessive demands of doing everything and being everywhere all at once. But it is important to consider the effects of stretching and overwhelming yourself at every turn. Mental stress can be more deleterious to your cardiac health than physical stress – in plainer terms, that daily load of mental stress you carry around may actually be the reason you feel like you ran a marathon (without training) after a long day juggling all of your responsibilities. 

Beyond your individual heart health, striking a healthy and effective work-life-family balance can be pivotal in improving relationships, increasing productivity, and enhancing personal growth. Right, so…where do we begin?

With so much on every guardian’s plate, it may come as no surprise that effective planning and time management will play a big role. Sitting down with your partner and/or your family regularly to engage in prioritization and planning sessions is a good place to start. An article in Harvard Business Review calls these sit-downs “previews,” and they can help each member of the family feel more connected, supported, and ready for the week ahead. Beyond simply sharing a family Google calendar, actually sitting down and having a conversation and establishing what everyone’s short-, medium-, and long-term goals are can encourage partners and children alike to shift responsibilities so that nobody feels like their priorities are being shortchanged. Taking a half-hour every week can make the family unit feel more, well, unified. 

Time management is a vital skill and is often cited as the mark of a successful person. With people as time-starved as working parents and caregivers, it’s all the more important. Setting boundaries and limiting work to work hours is a good start, especially when 22% of the workforce is working totally remotely, and two-thirds are working in a hybrid environment. With the boundary between work and non-work no longer geographically drawn, setting up life habits to achieve this balance is crucial. 

Prioritizing and planning is a great tool, but sometimes, knowing your limits is the most important step in achieving a manageable work-life-family balance. Dividing responsibilities among your partner, family members, and friends can spread out the load so that each member of the family unit is less burdened and, thus, freer and happier. If the means are available, hiring help for tasks like cleaning and childcare – even only occasionally – can also make things much easier. On a related note, taking advantage of new technologies in task management and communication can help to facilitate a productive and efficient family life, from sharing family calendars, using grocery delivery, educational, and/or productivity apps to using health apps to track sleep and exercise habits can go a long way. 

If you imagine the pie chart of your time during the week, it’s important not to leave off the category that can refill your well of energy available for all of the other tasks: self-care. Whether you opt for a new foray into the world of meditation and yoga or lean into your existing hobbies, spending time on yourself can reward you with unforeseen dividends of attention and care that you can, in turn, spend elsewhere. Perhaps the most important aspect of self-care is to be flexible and adaptable, giving yourself the latitude to adjust in the face of life’s unpredictability, free from guilt and shame. If something comes up, give yourself a few minutes to breathe and collect your thoughts before hurtling forward into the next phase of the day. 

Finding balance is an ongoing, lifelong project. Some days will be a miserable plinko-style descent from tired to exhausted, stressfully slamming into each obstacle with no hope for improvement; others, you will bound gracefully from daycare to yoga to date night to your children’s bedtime with a smile on your face. Everything in between is okay, and by utilizing some of the above strategies, you may faceplant a bit less frequently and even enjoy the wind in your hair as you sail through parenthood. 

About TLC Wellness

TLC Wellness is dedicated to serving individuals of all ages and addressing a diverse spectrum of mental health needs. The mission is to provide compassionate and effective therapy services, tailored to each person’s unique circumstances, to promote healing, resilience, and holistic well-being within the community. By utilizing proven modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention, acceptance and commitment therapy tools, and family systems/relational models, TLC Wellness strives to empower individuals on their journey toward a more authentic and fulfilling life.