Father’s Day Feature: 6 Strategies for Balancing Work and Fatherhood
As a father, it can be challenging trying to balance your work life and your home life. In honor of Father’s Day this Sunday, we’re taking a look at the struggles of trying to be a good father, husband, and employee or business owner. Whether you own your own business, work from home, or work outside of the home, here are 6 strategies for helping all dads achieve a healthy balance between work and fatherhood:
- Accept That You Can’t Do It All
You’re a dad, not a superhero. That means accepting the fact that you can’t do it all and need to prioritize what is most important. Maybe that means saying no to the extra commitment of coaching your son’s baseball team, but being able to watch as many games as you can from the sidelines. Or perhaps it’s hiring a landscaper to mow the lawn to free up some of your time for other things that are high on your priority list.
- Unplug When You’re Done Working
In order to be fully present at home, shut down your computer, put your work phone away, and turn off your email notifications when you’re finished working for the day. Once you power down, resist the urge to check your phone and devote your complete attention to your home life. Not only is it important for your relationships with your children and your partner, but it’s also an essential part of minimizing stress and preventing burnout.
- Consider Sticking to a Schedule
If you find yourself struggling to log off on time and frequently working extra hours, try creating a strict schedule to help you manage your time. This is especially useful for parents who work from home. Create a hard stop time and stick to it without deviating. You may find that you’re able to be more productive during the workday knowing that everything has to be done by a certain time. As an added benefit, your family will appreciate having an exact time they can expect you to be off of work by and can help hold you to it.
One of the aspects of having a healthy balance between your work and home life is prioritizing your own wellbeing. If you’re stressed or feeling burnt out, you can’t give your all to whatever you’re doing. Take some time every day to do what you enjoy and what helps you be the best possible version of yourself. It could be something as simple as going for a run in the evenings, reading for 30 minutes after dinner, working out in the garage before work, or meditating.
- Make the Most of the Small Moments
You can bond with your kids during simple everyday activities like driving them to soccer practice, cooking dinner, or while doing household chores together. Make folding laundry into a game of who can match up the most socks or simply ask your kids to tell you about their day while driving home from school or daycare. If you know you’re going to be busy at work for a few days and can’t give the kids the attention you’d like to, remember to focus on making the most of the small moments. Sometimes some of the best memories are made while doing mundane chores or running errands together. At the end of the day, your kids just want to spend quality, uninterrupted time with you.
- Be Fully Present at Work and at Home
While you’re at work, you need to be 100% at work and the same goes for being at home. If you’re with your family, don’t answer a work call or do any work-related tasks. If you’re giving one of your responsibilities only half of your attention, then you’re not going to get the most out of either one.
Final Thoughts
Having a healthy balance between work and fatherhood will help you maintain better relationships with your kids and your spouse, and lead a more fulfilled life.
Wishing all of the dads out there a very Happy Father’s Day from SBG Funding!