work life balance for kids Archives

Happy International Women’s Day Moms!

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. and this year,

I #ChooseToChallenge all women and especially moms to find some sort of Work-Life Balance.

COVID-19 has been one that put us as women to the test and I must say the ladies all around the world have raised to the challenge. Women have always had to work twice as hard to get half as far and the one thing that we have had to struggle with is that we need to find some sort of Work-Life balance.

Here are my 5 tips for a better work Life balance that I have compiled from my journey as a working mother.

ACCEPT THAT THERE IS NO PERFECT WORK-LIFE BALANCE.

When you hear someone say “work-life balance” and you drift in though thinking of a productive day at work, get home early and get time to spend time with family and friends. Well, however ideal that is, it will not always be like that, and accepting this is the first step of achieving Work-Life Balance.

It is important to remain fluid and practical because, there are days you might focus more on work, while other days you might have more time and energy to pursue your hobbies or spend time with your loved ones. Balance is achieved over time, not each day.

PRIORITIZE YOUR HEALTH.

Your overall physical, emotional, and mental health should be your main concern. If you struggle with anxiety or depression and think therapy would benefit you, fit those sessions into your schedule, even if you must leave work early or ditch your evening aerobics class.

If you are battling a chronic illness, do not be afraid to call in sick on rough days. Overworking yourself prevents you from getting better, possibly causing you to take more days off in the future.

LEAVE WORK AT WORK

Develop a mental on-off switch between work and home. It helps to establish a transitional activity between the two realms. This might consist of listening to music or recorded books during your evening commute, exercising at the fitness centre, running errands, or keeping personal appointments. Scheduling such activities immediately following your normal work hours also prevents you from spending that extra twenty minutes at the office which then turns into several hours.

MAKE TIME FOR YOU

As much as work, health, and relationships take priority in your life, it is also important to schedule a time for your own renewal. Indulge in some small pleasure daily. Take at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted “you time.” It will do wonders for your well-being, and your relationships and your career will benefit too. Belief in God, or a higher power, can be a deep well from which to draw inspiration, guidance, and strength. Setting aside a weekly day of rest can be helpful, as well.

HAVING A SOCIAL LIFE

While you usually reserve fun things for the weekends, plan at least one enjoyable activity during the week. You’ll be able to head into your work week with something to look forward to and have a way to blow off some steam if the week starts off too strong.

bellyitch rewind

As many children go back to school this month, several struggle in class, lose assignment sheets and notes, miss assignments and forget to bring home books needed to complete homework if he or she is not organized. There are tremendous benefits to teaching children executive functioning skills. These are the type of skills top or mid level execs use to succeed in work but certainly can apply to kids as well.

Organization and focus are key qualities for many successful adults, but these skills do not come naturally to grown ups, imagine if you were taught it at a young age and grew with those skills.

The Glenholme School in Washington, Connecticut actually has a program called “Executive Functioning Skills” which helps its students focus on tasks at hand, prioritize and organize in a way that will help them throughout their lives even after leaving school.

Here are 5 tips that Maryann Campbell, Executive Director of The Glenholme School, offers to assist all parents and children:

Stash and trash– Prevent mountains of papers from accumulating by learning what to keep and what to toss. This is a very important skill, even for the most organized adults! Teach children at a young age what types of documents to keep and throw away as well as how to best organize the materials they are keeping. Your future storage bins will thank you!

Balancing work and fun – It is important to teach children that there is a time for work and a time for play, and that they are both important for a well-balanced life! Make time for studying, after school activities and dinner with the family.

Manage the day – Parents have planners, and so should children! Teach your child to use a day planner or calendar, where they can record their school work, after-school activities, social events and family time. Whether it is paper or digital, it doesn’t matter. The point is that the child learns to manage their time and sets realistic expectations for each day.

Organize assignments –Parents can help their children stay organized with color-coded folders and a desk-top storage system for their school work. Children also really enjoy label makers. Divide the folders and storage containers by subject, and teach children how to label accordingly.

Lightening the backpack without losing the work – We’ve all witnessed the tiny child with the gigantic backpack that weighs nearly as much as they do, as well as the extreme opposite of the student who shows up to class without a pen or paper. Teaching children to carry what is important for the day will help them be better prepared for class. Go over the day’s activities the night before, make a list of what classes and activities the child has and pack accordingly.

This solid advice should help parents have a basis and foundation for passing on these critical skills to their children.

photos: courtesy Ikea, The Glenholme School

work life balance for kids

5 Tips For Better Work-Life Balance

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