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Does A Remote Work Arrangement Make You A Better Parent?

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Does a remote work arrangement make you a better parent?

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Almost two-thirds of companies now have full-time employees who work remotely. And the remote workforce continues to grow. In the wake of this new phenomenon, many parents have opted for remote working arrangements, in order to have the flexibility of being “there” for their kids as necessary or desirable.

However, being always present there for the kids may pose additional challenges for you as a professional. And in fact, it may make you feel more “burned out” as a parent as well. Working from home comes with certain pros and cons. Check those out to decide if this type of arrangement will indeed make you a better parent.

Pros of remote work while parenting

There are huge benefits to working from home. Here are a few from actual remote-working dads.

  • You can breakfast with your kids and see them off in the morning when they leave for school; you are there to greet them when they return.
  • You can participate in school events that take place during the day.
  • You are there to listen and advise when there is a crisis in a kid’s life – that child does not have to wait until you get home from work in the evening.
  • You generally have a set number of hours to crank out your work while the kids are in school. That uninterrupted time can be hugely productive.

Of course, all of these benefits presuppose that the kiddos are of school age. There are different challenges when those children are infants or toddlers. Still, even with a preschooler, it is nice to be able to take a break during the day and go to the park for some quality time. It just means that work hours will have to be rearranged. As one dad shared, he plans a chunk of work time after bedtime and is able to get in several productive hours.

Cons of remote work while parenting

It’s not all sweetness and roses when parents decide to work remotely. There are some big challenges that must be carefully planned for.

Lines can become blurred. Kids can misinterpret a parent being home as meaning that they are fully available at any time. Preparing kids in advance with a definite schedule of work and family time will be a critical piece of making this arrangement a success. When mom or dad is at work, only emergencies are allowed to disrupt. And be sure to define emergencies. As one mom put it, “There needs to be blood.”

When infants and toddlers are at home, there are special challenges. And these may call for extra help. This can come in many forms, but it must be planned for:

  • Daycare centers are always an option, and they require budgeting for the cost. Six hours of this care should give you plenty of daytime hours. The rest can occur after bedtime.
  • There may be a stay-at-home parent nearby who would like to earn some extra cash by babysitting your infant or toddler.
  • If you can afford it, an in-house nanny is ideal. Then, you can take breaks and spend quality time with your little one as you wish.

Dealing with the guilt. One of the pitfalls that remote working parents fall into is that they think they are going to be better parents because they are at home and available when needed. Then reality sets in. You have deadlines; you have phone calls and video conferences; you have meetings with clients that are pre-scheduled. Parents come to realize that they are not “available” as they thought they might be. And then they go into “guilt” mode. The solution for this is to develop the mindset that you are more available than parents who commute, spend 8 hours in the office and then commute home. You do have more opportunities for quality time with your kids, but you also have a job to do.

When the going gets tough

The kids are home all day because of school vacations; it is summer and they are home for an extended period of time. This means more interruptions and can result in lack of productivity flow. Again, there are solutions that still make you a good parent:

  • Enroll your kids in a number of summer activities. You can be very flexible about these, more so than parents who are at work somewhere else every day. You can chauffeur.
  • Think about working away from home during these times. There are workspaces that can be rented by the hour, day, week, or month; there is the local library or a college campus library. You can still be available to chauffer and to attend events during the days.

Good parents commute to work every day. And good parents work remotely from their homes. Every work venue has its pros and cons. The question at hand is, do you have quality time with your children? Working remotely definitely provides more opportunity for that quality time, as long as it is planned and scheduled so that the right work-life balance is achieved.

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