Work-Life Balance as a Parent: How to Have a Successful Summer
As a child, summer holidays seemed like one long stretch of fun and relaxation. As an adult, and a working parent the reality is usually far less dreamy. Even for those without school-age children, the summer can be a challenge; the office becomes a ghost town, the work force is stretched and workloads become heavier.
As a working parent, how do you successfully navigate six (or more) weeks of working when the structure of school and wraparound childcare is suddenly removed?…Retaining a successful work-life balance: spending quality time with your children, while ensuring you’re still delivering to your employers or clients… It’s certainly a juggle.
Is this how it should be and how can you and your family best manage this summer to ensure everyone is happy?
The Flexible Working Bill
The good news is that times are changing. The new Flexible Working Bill has achieved Royal Assent, meaning millions of British workers will have more flexibility over where and when they work.
Workers will have the right to request flexible working from day one of a new job, with employers required to consider any requests and provide a reason before rejection.
CMA Senior Consultant Lynsey Walsh (and parent of two) says: “Gone are the days of rigid work schedules and a one-size-fits-all approach to employment. The new bill acknowledges the importance of work-life balance and gives employees greater control over their time.”
Flexible working is a broad term and can relate to working hours or pattern including:
- part-time,
- term-time,
- flexi-time,
- compressed hours,
- or adjusting start and finish times.
It can also include flexibility over where someone works, whether that be from home or a satellite office shortening their commute.
Lynsey continues: “Of course there are lots of benefits for both employers and employees, however given that we are seeing more of a shift to fully office-based roles, particularly at the transactional finance level, I do wonder what the future holds and in reality how this will affect people.”
The bill could have an important impact for working parents in future years – but what about this summer? To help, we have compiled these actionable tips to help you establish a routine, set boundaries, manage your mental health and have a successful summer of 2023.
Schedule ahead
Plan your work hours in advance and make sure you allot time for things that are important to you; whether it’s days out with family or social events.
Plan as much in advance as you can; whether it’s childcare, holiday clubs, activities, outings and meals, and involve your children and the rest of the family in the planning. Include your work hours, deadlines, meetings and appointments in your planning. Getting it all sorted out early on will help you to establish a routine and bring structure to your day.
Setting up a shared calendar will help ensure everyone is on the same page; an online one such as Google calendar is ideal. Invite all the stakeholders; your partner, any grandparents or caregivers as well as older children. Include all the events happening and work schedules.
Prioritise your time
Make the most of your free time and your work time by resetting your priorities during the holidays.
Prioritise your work load, look at your deadlines and re-set any that can be postponed until after the holidays when you may have more resources or more time to achieve them. On days that you know you will have less time than usual, setting priorities of must-do tasks, vs those that are less time sensitive, will not only help you be productive but you’ll feel like you’ve achieved more too.
At home – maybe you can decide that rigorous housework can go by the wayside, or take on a cleaner to help for a few weeks. You could choose to opt for supermarket deliveries or click and collect, over in-store shopping. Anything that helps reduce the to do list and redress the work-life balance will help your mental health at this time.
Be realistic and flexible
Following on from the above point; be kind to yourself and look after your own mental health by being realistic with what can be achieved during the holidays. Embrace quality time over quantity with your children and make the most of the time you do have together by being present and making memories.
Remember it’s ok to ask for help and be flexible. There might be days where the holiday club is cancelled, a big meeting gets rescheduled or it rains on your plans (it is the UK after all!). Communicate with all involved and try to stay flexible in your mind set.
Looking ahead to the next holidays, the key is to start planning early and communicate with your employer as far in advance as possible. Discuss your situation with them and explore the flexibility options available to you. We wish you luck!