How to balance work and family | Parentally Speaking
If I was a parent raising kids now, I would hope that I would have the ability to understand, care for and love them, no matter what. One of the biggest challenges that parents face today is finding a balance between work and family life and understanding the issues and challenges they face.
I am sure like many others, parents are juggling multiple responsibilities at once, such as taking care of children, meeting deadlines at work and keeping up with household duties like cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. Many parents value both family life and their career, but it can be difficult to achieve a healthy work-life balance and find time for your own needs.
To overcome this challenge, it’s important to set priorities, delegate tasks whenever possible and carve out time for self-care. For example, you might want to bring your kids to work on a day when you have fewer meetings or consider hiring a cleaning service to help with household chores.
But I truly believe that it is important to communicate openly with your partner and family members about your responsibilities, so that you can all work together to support each other.
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Along with balancing work and family life, another major difficulty for modern parents is dealing with stress. Whether it’s work-related stress or simply feeling overwhelmed with everyday responsibilities, many parents struggle to manage their emotions and stay calm.
For example, during the pandemic, many parents had a lot more stress to handle. They were worried about their children, family members and friends who were infected or at risk. To deal with stress effectively, it’s important to take care of yourself by eating well, getting enough sleep and practicing relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga.
In short, find something that helps you relax. If you’re short on time, you may want to opt for a non-negotiable hot bath three times per week. Another key strategy is to find ways to manage your time effectively, such as using a task management app or setting reminders for important tasks. Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out for help and support when you need it, whether you turn to family and friends or seek help from a parenting coach.
One of the biggest issues is the growing popularity of digital devices and social media has also created new challenges for parents. For example, many parents struggle to set healthy limits around screen time for their children. In addition, as children become more digitally savvy, many parents feel like they are always playing catch-up when it comes to technology.
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To address these issues, it’s important to talk to your children about the risks and benefits of technology, as well as set clear guidelines for using devices. This might include limiting the use of smartphones and tablets for young children or creating a family media contract that outlines rules around device usage. Additionally, it’s important to stay informed about the latest trends and apps to guide your children wisely.
Finally, make sure that you are also modeling healthy tech habits, such as limiting your own screen time and setting boundaries around device usage. In short, if you want to be a successful and happy parent in today’s digital age, you need to stay informed, set healthy limits, and lead by example.
And don’t forget that as a parent, one of your top priorities is keeping your children safe and always protected. Unfortunately, with the growing prevalence of technology and the internet, this has become more difficult than ever before.
Unfortunately, there are now countless risks and dangers online, including cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content and identity theft. It’s essential to talk with your children about internet safety from a young age, and help them understand how to stay safe both at home and on their devices.
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Some practical tips include using parental controls, monitoring your child’s online activity and setting age-appropriate boundaries around device usage. In addition, it’s important to be mindful of your own behavior, as your children will be influenced by what they see and hear from you. By taking these steps, you can help your children stay safe and secure online, empowering them to enjoy all the benefits of technology without the associated risks.
And please keep in mind that the wake of the COVID pandemic and amid reports of a growing youth mental health crisis, 4 in 10 U.S. parents with children younger than 18 say they are extremely or very worried that their children might struggle with anxiety or depression at some point. In fact, mental health concerns top the list of parental worries, followed by 35% who are similarly concerned about their children being bullied, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. These items trump parents’ concerns about certain physical threats to their children, the dangers of drugs and alcohol, teen pregnancy and getting in trouble with the police.
Some of the major underlining signs that your child might have substance use disorder can include:
Getting drunk or high often
Using substances before or during school
Selling drugs
Hiding alcohol or drugs in their room
Skipping school often
Doing worse in school than they used to
No longer seeing old friends
No longer doing activities they used to enjoy
Dangerous behavior such as fighting, or driving while drunk or high
Needing to take more and more of the substance to get the same effect
Withdrawal symptoms when they can’t get the substance
Many teens are good at hiding their alcohol or drug use from parents, so the first sign is often something like skipping school or changing friends.
Substance use problems can be especially risky for kids with other mental health conditions like anxiety or mood disorders. Substances can make symptoms worse and sometimes interact badly with kids’ medication.
The very first step is to help the teen stop using the substance. In severe cases of addiction, a doctor might prescribe a supervised detoxification to help with symptoms of withdrawal. That means that the teen gets support while they stop using the substance. That treatment might be able to happen at home with a lot of structured therapy during the day. If the addiction has been going on for a long time, the teen might need to go to an inpatient substance abuse program.
There is a lot on your plate nowadays. I do not mean to preach, just to raise your level of awareness and understanding. If you wish to talk to someone, take a moment to reach out to our agency, we have caring staff that can guide you to professional help or provide you with some materials you night wish to read.
You can call our office at 732-254-3344 and speak to any our staff. If you do not wish to speak to anyone, you can also send an email to mail@wcpnj.or. And finally, our website is a great potential resource. Check this part of our website for more information: wellspringprevention.org/resources/information-and-referral.
Happy Holidays, no matter how you celebrate this time of the year, do so with fun and safety in mind. And, a Happy New Year to each of you!
Ezra Helfand is CEO/Executive Director of the Wellspring Center for Prevention (formerly NCADD of Middlesex County, Inc.) You can reach him at ezra.helfand@wellspringprevention.org .
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: How to balance work and family life
