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Back to School Pt. 3: Work & Parenting...Can They Coexist Harmoniously?

Written by: Jennifer Loftus

Article Overview: Part 3 of our Back to School miniseries gives us a look at how a career and parenting can live together. We see that if parenting and a career are fighting for the same allotment of time, the consequences are nothing short of quite costly. Here are some tips on how to alleviate that stress from life, and how to make this tricky relationship between career and parenting work, and work well.

Back to School Pt. 3: Work & Parenting...Can They Coexist Harmoniously?

As the new school year continues, highlighting the complex aspects of working and parenting is relevant to many Astronology readers. Any parent can tell you – raising kids can be challenging. Stay-at-home-moms (and in some cases, dads) are very hard to come by. In many cases, parents have the arduous task of balancing a career and home life. These important roles not only have an effect on their families, but also their job performance.

After-school activities in particular seem to bring challenges to parents in connection with work productivity. These competing priorities can be costly for organizations, and possibly derail an employee’s success. Social psychologist Karen Gareis states, “Our findings show that PCAST (Parental Concern and After-School Time)[http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/bu-wpc120506.php] can be very toxic to employee attitudes, work performance and well-being.” PCAST can cost businesses between $50 billion and $300 billion yearly. On average, workers with high stress due to concerns of their home are absent from work 11.8 days per year [http://www.region.peel.on.ca/health/workplace/news/2007/sept07.htm].

Organizations aren’t the only ones to bear the cost. The family of the worker is also impacted. The term “latchkey kid” refers to youngsters who are left at home, or are left responsible for their own care for a time period. Having a child return home to an empty house can prove to be an emotional setback to the child. “I was a latchkey kid and hated it. I hated coming home to an empty house with nobody to talk to, especially if I were upset about something that happened that day. Even in high school, I hated it although I admit I did take advantage of it” comments a writer on the website yourfamilyshealth.com [http://www.yourfamilyshealth.com/kids_health/latch_key_kids/]. Coming home to an empty house when there is news to be shared – both good and bad – can sometimes disappoint a child. Additionally, children may develop emotional conflicts and possibly fall into some trouble while being home alone.

Balancing work and parenting is not unattainable, however. Much can be done to help ease the stress of PCAST, by both the organization and the parent.

What Can Organizations Do?

Organizations can take a number of steps in order to help relieve the stress of PCAST and encourage productivity. The key antidote is organizational support. For starters, allowing employees to have more control over their work schedules can help. Research has shown that having flexibility in case of emergencies can reduce PCAST levels [http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/bu-wpc120506.php]. Some organizations have work programs or offer reduce after-school care. These programs are often low cost for the organization but bring a wealth of benefits. Additionally, simple things such as Lunch & Learns [http://management.about.com/od/trainingsites/a/LunchandLearn.htm] and workplace health & wellness committees can offer great support to anxious parents.

What Can Parents Do?

Parents must realize that there are no guaranteed steps or procedures to ensure that their children are 100% safe if they are left at home alone, or in the care of someone else. If a parent is considering giving his / her child the responsibility to come home alone after school, the parent should at least consider the child’s feelings [http://www.yourfamilyshealth.com/kids_health/latch_key_kids/]. See if they think they are ready to watch themselves for a few hours. Parents must also consider the local regulations as to how old a child must legally be to be left home alone.

Many parents are also concerned with taking days off, even if the benefit is purposely provided to assist them. Research has shown that some parents fear that taking advantage of these provisions may hinder career growth [http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/bu-wpc120506.php]. This type of reasoning may not be unfounded in some organizations. What parents must realize, however, is that there must be a balance between work and home. There may be a time where there is a need to leave earlier or come later to work. If the provision is offered in the organization, use it, but don’t abuse the privilege.

It is very possible for a parent to have both a successful home life and career. What is impossible, however, is attempting to manage both with no support. More and more organizations recognize this need and offer support in a variety of ways. Such support helps the organization to have happier, healthier, and more productive employees. In turn, these same employees help the organization overall to be productive and successful.

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Article Tags: absent from work, arduous task, coming home, days per year, emotional conflicts, employee attitudes, eurekalert, gareis, kids health, latchkey kid, parental concern, raising kids, school time, setback, social psychologist, stay at home, stay at home moms, work performance, work productivity, youngsters



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