Working parents are finding this new reality to be tough to navigate. Especially if you are like me, running a business while trying to supervise your children’s distance learning can feel like you are now working 3 jobs at the same time. Many days, it feels like when the kids have their school work done, it’s time to get to your business. But then you look at the clock and it’s 5:30 p.m. Time to start on dinner. And before you know it, you’re sitting down at your computer at 9:00 at night trying to start your workday. Unless you are one of those people who really enjoys being a night-owl, this won’t be sustainable. Working parents need to find a better way.
Last week, the Harvard Business Review had a good article on How Working Parents Can Support One Another,
As working parents, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by our less-than-ideal options. We’re hungry for inspiration, connection, and a genuine response during these uncertain times.
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Now more than ever we need to be role models for each other. We’re living, striving, and working in an unprecedented time – and struggling, too – so we all need to support each other, be open and honest about our experiences, and be leaders in our workplaces, families, and communities.
Recommendations for Working Parents
The authors of the article published a book in March for working parents, and they’ve summarized some of their recommendations:
- Consciously embed your values into your new normal
- Share more
- Be vulnerable
- Experiment and iterate
- Bring others along with you
One of the most interesting aspects of my work with small business clients is that we all face the same struggles. We’re running businesses in this time of pandemic. That PPP loan didn’t come through for many solo and small businesses. Many of us are working parents, trying to balance our lives. There’s not necessarily a clear line where legal advice ends and business and personal advice begins. I tend to even get more feedback on my blog posts that are about business advice and managing our personal schedules than I do about some of the legal principles.
So, for working parents, we’re all in this together. Especially if you are also trying to run your own business while parenting, know that there are plenty of resources out there to help you get through this. If there’s anything I can do to help, please reach out to me!