4 Ways I Blend Being A Parent With Work

I have 3 kids, the oldest in 1st grade. These are some of my thoughts on how the pandemic has helped me calibrate things such that I have a better work/life balance, specifically as it relates to being a parent. *Note - this assumes you are in a work from home situation. And while I am focusing on my kids, please don’t forget you can do all these same things with/for your partner as well.  

1 - Do not discount micro moments. If you have 3 mins before your next meeting - step out of the office, say hi to your kids. Get down on their level, give them a hug and ask how their day is going.  

It’s amazing how good this makes me feel, gives me extra determination and focus going forward - and how much my kids like it. It’s comforting all around. And it’s 180 seconds. Don’t overthink this.

2 - Make their lunches in the morning. Use this as a mechanism to talk with your kids: what do they want to eat? What happened at lunch yesterday? Who will you eat lunch with today? There are so many prompts and conversations that can be born out of this. It helps me know my kids better, helps me take inventory of what we might need at the grocery store, so I can proactively pick up a few things from time to time.

3 - Block time to go pick up your kid from school. Everyone loves this - it has no age expiration date. And those times in the car can be pure gold. Even days when my daughter tells me she did nothing and nothing happened, I still enjoy just being in the car together. And even though she is not consciously aware of it, I know it matters to her too and helps strengthen our bond.

4 - If your child happens to come into your office while you’re on a call / Zoom, just tell the other people. It’s okay. Everyone gets it. And it humanizes you. If someone is upset that your kid popped in for a second and you needed a moment to address something with them - you probably don’t want to be partnering or working with that person anyway. They’re a dick.