A recent
study conducted by Working Families found that over half of the surveyed fathers
thought work affected their ability to spend time with their children.
And with over 60% of dads working beyond their contracted hours to manage their workloads,
it can be difficult to strike a balance between work and family life.
In this blog we'll explore a few changes you can make in your approach to daily life that may help to achieve the desired work-life balance.
During lockdown, fathers have nearly doubled the time they
spend on childcare. On average, fathers are now performing childcare
duties during 8 hours of the day, compared with 4 hours in 2014/15. With school
closures sending many children home to study, the increasing demand on parents to
juggle their work with home-schooling can be be a source of great tension for many
families.
Having a conversation with your
employer about flexible working hours could be what is needed to gain some balance
between work and family commitments. If you've just welcomed a new baby into
the family, see if you are entitled to Shared Parental Leave
and pay as a new father.
A step that can be taken towards
balancing work-life, is to be as organised as possible. Organising family life
between both partners could make the workweek easier, as bills can be paid
together, budgets confirmed, and the week planned.
A coordinated calendar allows
couples to know they are on the same page and to cope with life's challenges,
such as dentist appointments or children's homework deadlines. This can also include
preparing lunches for the week ahead and prioritising high-importance tasks.
Part of your life admin may
include looking to the future and investing in extra
security that you may not have considered before your children came along, such
as life
insurance. It's a security measure that parents sometimes consider as it
could help to look after the family financially in the unfortunate event of the
passing of a parent.
Family relationships should be cherished, and setting
time aside just for the family after a busy day of working could be a way to
ensure that you prioritise family activities, such as going for a walk, telling
bedtime stories or even slobbing out in front of the telly together.
Enjoying the nature found
outdoors can be a good way to escape the stresses of life and may have positive
effects on mental health - making you feel happier, relaxed and even more
confident.
With today's increasingly connected world, it can be easy to
bring work home outside of office hours, as technology blurs the line between
work life and family life. The Working Families Index asked parents whether
they thought technology increased their working hours - 48% agreed with this
statement, and fathers were more at risk at 55%. Parents distracted by
technology, so-called 'technoferance', can have detrimental effects on
children.
A study
conducted in the US in 2017 researching the impact of technoference on
children showed potential negative effects on child behaviour. These effects
can be seen through children internalising problems by sulking or whining, and also
children externalising, with temper tantrums and hyperactivity.
As a dad, having a partner to
rely on may make it easier to juggle work time and home commitments. An honest
conversation about the work that is needed and how it can be divided up can
help couples manage their busy family lives.
While a 50/50 split of duties may
seem like the fairest division, it may not always be possible if one parent
works much longer hours. Dividing tasks and time is personal to every couple
and situation, and the example of a 60/40 division may be fairer in some cases.
Be realistic about what you can achieve at home, whether it's
doing odd jobs, working from home, or devoting time to spend with the children,
it could make you feel more on top of things. Have a pre-planned schedule to
help tick off completed tasks, and don't over work yourself!
If working at night provides more
time during the day for family and it proves to be doable, this may be the
solution for you.
Striving for perfection can be
natural, however, it can cause unnecessary pressure in day-to-day life. Parents
can feel guilty about a wide variety of factors every day, such as having
to work, not playing with their children enough, and giving in to demands. Pressure
can lead to stress and anxiety, which has a negative impact on our mental
and physical health. Being a parent is tough and no one is perfect, so try
and focus on enjoying parenthood and not on chasing perfection.
Enjoying time with the family as
a dad is important, and can bring lots of happiness into the home.
At Compare Cover, we offer the tools to compare life
insurance quotes to help you find the right policy to protect your family.
