How to Juggle Work As A Parent

Having children is no easy feat. It requires a whole lot of commitment and responsibilities. The same can be said about working. As jobs become increasingly more demanding, maintaining a healthy work-life balance gets more challenging.  

So how do working parents balance both these demands (while staying sane)? Well, the key is in knowing how to juggle both.

While this can be a constant struggle, as parents, we try to do the best we can to manage both our professional responsibilities and family life. Here’s how I managed my home-life as a working parent: 

I found a job that allowed me to work from home 

While this approach might not work for every profession or industry, I was lucky that I managed to find a job that allowed me to work from home. As my children are older and don’t require constant supervision, being able to work from home meant that I didn’t have to send them to daycare, which saved us a ton of money.  

I also saved a lot of time (and stress) as I didn’t have to commute to and from work. At my previous job, I used to spend one hour getting to work and 1.5 hours getting home (longer if it was raining).  

However, working from home does have its drawbacks. Even though I work in a separate room, I found it harder to focus on work compared to if I was working at an office. This was because I could still hear my children playing or arguing outside my door. There were even instances when I had to leave my workstation to intervene and mediate their conflicts.  

Still, I feel like I was more involved in their lives when I worked from home.  

Setting clear time boundaries 

With only a limited number of hours in each day, effective time management is needed to ensure both work and family needs are met. 

To prevent work demands from intruding on family time, I had to set clear time boundaries. Every day, I set a cut-off time where I would shut down my computer and make sure I do not turn it on again until the next morning.  

While there were occasions where I had to work after hours, I tried not to make this a regular practice. Being able to disconnect from work helped me truly enjoy quality time with my family. 

Establishing clear work boundaries 

In addition to setting boundaries for myself, I also had to establish these with my manager. I had an open conversation with her and told her about not being able to work after office hours and on weekends (aside from on occasional events) due to family commitments.  

Thankfully, she was very understanding. (But I still worry that this might affect my chances of getting promoted in the future as I might be seen as someone who does not go the extra mile).

Prepping on weekends 

To stay ahead of the upcoming week, I would prepare as many things as possible during the weekend so my weekdays would be less hectic. This approach reduces stress and improves productivity throughout the week.  

I would plan and cook meals or sauces in bulk then freeze them. During the week, I’d simply reheat these meals or whip up something simple like pasta then add the pre-made sauce for a quick and healthy homecooked meal.  

Remember to care for yourself too! 

While I love my children to bits, raising them is both physically and emotionally demanding. Aside from work schedules and deadlines, I also have to oversee their daily routine, health, academic progress, mental development, safety, meals and doctor’s appointments. Sometimes I am so exhausted I fall asleep on my sofa without even brushing my teeth! 

When my children were younger, I often neglected my own needs because I was constantly busy and too tired to even go out. But over time, I realised just how important self-care is. Prioritising my own well-being doesn’t make me a selfish parent, it actually made me a better one. It helps prevent burnout from work and childcare responsibilities, allowing me to recharge and face each new day with renewed energy. 

And self-care doesn’t have to be expensive. I found joy in simple activities like going for a walk in the park to enjoying a meal in a restaurant, alone. 

By managing my stress levels, I not only felt better personally but also noticed an improvement in my work performance.  

A learning process 

The biggest takeaway I got from being a working parent is that it is an ever-evolving journey. Both roles present continuous challenges that requires me to constantly adapt. As my children grow and work demands shift, I am faced with new situations and obstacles, so I try to stay open to change and not sweat it when things don’t go according to plan.  

It is important not to be too hard on yourself, especially on days when exhaustion makes everything seem difficult. For me, I’ll simply take a deep breath and approach each day as it comes, learning along the way.