Can parents have a guilt-free career?
By: Claire, redwigwam
From the day your child was born, you knew from then on they’d be the most important part of your life. Another one down the line, you’ve not only got two bundles of joy to look after and care for but where does your career fit in?
This is a tough one, everyone is different and what some regard as good parenting, others would frown upon in every shape and form. However, times are changing, it’s becoming more and more familiar for Mummy and Daddy to be working regular hours while juggling the kids’ lives, but can you do it without feeling guilty?
Simply put… yes you can!
You are doing absolutely nothing wrong. If you’re actively pursuing a career, you’ll typically be earning a salary, and with a salary comes treats for you and the kids. And there is nothing ‘selfish’ about that; I’m sure the kids love their holidays and days out!
You’re still a person too
If you’ve got a career, you’re helping your personal development, you’ve got your own goals and achievements that you can celebrate with your family. There’s no harm in being proud of your own feats and it’s something your children can tell their friends about in school.
It also sets a great example for their own futures - you're acting as a role model for their career years down the line.
Assign some time to bond
Juggling work and home life isn't always easy, so it's important to set aside some family time when the working day is done.
Get in a few board games, turn off the computers, laptops, phones & tablets. Play a game of Scrabble or Monopoly together and enjoy the bonding time. If board games aren't your thing, my kids love it when we play video games with them (family tournament of Mario Kart anyone?)
If you spend some quality time with your children when both you and they have the time, the feeling of guilt will quickly fade.
Embrace technology
As a working parent myself, I'm all for taking shortcuts where I can to free up time.
If you’re thinking about going to the supermarket, just do an online shop instead. The couple of hours you spend at the shops can instead be used as family time, you could even incorporate the kids into the shop and have them do it with you.
You’ve now freed up some time without too much hassle.
But also, take your tech with you. So if your kids go to a club or swimming lessons, use the time to catch up on work emails if you're able. I don't make calls from the swimming pool balcony, but I can use the time to respond to messages and clear my inbox.
Take social media with a pinch of salt
Ahhhh - the jealously of someone else's insta-perfect life.
Have a think - is endless scrolling one of the things causing you guilt about being a working parent? It's easy to imagine that the perfect squares and endless stories you see are making these children better people because they spend so much time with their parents.
WRONG
Remember - what you see on socials is just a snapshot of someones day. We tend to only post the good bits (I'm guilty of this - no posts for days on end, and then loads when we go somewhere!)
Never compare your life with someone else's. And there is a chance they are equally jealous of the time you get to spend at work drinking a hot cuppa!
Flex it up!
If you're genuinely struggling with guilt as a working parent, maybe it's time to redress the balance?
The years your children are little for are short - and it does honestly get easier when they start school. Have a think about flexible working. We're not just talking about working from home - we're talking about a new way of life, where you pick up work when it suits you - and when it fits around family life.
And redwigwam is here to help you find those jobs.
Create an account on our platform and get instant matches to flexible part-time and temporary jobs in your local area.
