Celebrating Working Parents
Working parents: You do it all! Juggling your family’s needs with your career’s needs is no easy task, which is why September 16th is dedicated to you. This week, we are celebrating Working Parents Day and acknowledging all of the unique challenges and triumphs that working parents face every single day. If you are a working parent or your spouse is, there are some great ways to celebrate and educate your children about where you go every day. Keep reading to learn more about Working Parents Day and easy and fun ways to make family time count.
September 16 is National Working Parents Day
Did you know that every year on September 16, it is Working Parents Day? Here is a little bit of background on the holiday, according to National Day Calendar: https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-working-parents-day-september-16
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 61 percent of families with children have both parents working outside the home. That number increases to nearly 65 percent for families when the youngest child is at least six years old. However, if the youngest child is under six years old, that number drops to approximately 56 percent.
Working parents face a range of challenges. While juggling daycare and schedules top the list, they also struggle to find time with each other and their children. It's often a balancing act that requires excellent communication skills, patience, and lots of love.
Often, working parents feel divided between home and work. Many times, parents work opposite schedules, so there's always a parent home with kids. As a result, the adults rarely spend any time alone. Like many other working parents, they're always on the go. And everyone has their responsibilities, too. Each takes turns staying home if one of the children becomes sick. School activities and other events are carefully orchestrated. That's how working parents make it all come together.
Challenges Faced by Working Parents
Working parents face a unique set of challenges. If you are a working parent, especially one who is the “breadwinner” of the home, you may be experiencing some of the following:
- Financial stress of budgeting, saving, and providing for your family
- Difficulty attending certain events for work or your children, due to one conflicting with the other
- FOMO, especially for working parents of babies and young toddlers
- Navigating a good work/life balance
- Difficulty advancing in your career or finding “drive”
- Making deadlines, preparing for meetings, going to meetings, taking phone calls, or creating presentations
Managing Burnout
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to being a parent, whether you are a working parent or a stay-at-home parent, is managing burnout. Being a parent isn’t easy, especially if you have babies or young toddlers at home. Working parents face a unique form of burnout, which can affect both their job and their home life.
If you are a working parent, here are some ways you can manage burnout or stop it before it begins:
| Prioritize self-care. | If you are feeling the effects of burnout, it is time to prioritize self-care. Make sure you are getting enough rest, try meditation, go on a walk, or have a spa day. |
| Take a break. | Talk to your employer and your partner about taking a day off. Take some PTO with your employer to get a mental break from work. Then, do what will help you at home—whether that is spending some quality time with your kids or asking your spouse to cover for you while you go golfing, have a spa day, or go to dinner with friends. |
| Consider professional help. | If you are feeling burnt out, make sure you enlist some professional help. This can include help from a therapist, babysitter, or doctor. Talk to your support system to get a plan in place to help you. |
Making Family Time Count
As working parents, we do not get as much quality time with our children as stay-at-home parents do. Even if we are working from home, making family time count can be difficult as our brains tend to be “somewhere else” thinking about work and other obligations.
There are three ways you can make family time count every day, even if you only get a little bit of it every day. They include a quick activity, meal time, and bath time!
Bubble Activity
A great way you can connect with your children, even if you have limited free time as a working parent, is through bubbles! Spike’s bubble blower and botanical solution set allow you and your child to blow a ton of bubbles without the mess. That’s right: You don’t have to be on drippy wand duty!
Meal Time
One of the best ways to connect with your kids is over a meal. Whether you are able to have breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner with them, spend that time chatting with them and giving them your undivided attention.
Innobaby has an entire line of mealtime products that are made just for tiny hands. Whether you love to cook together, go picnicking together, or just want to cut your food into fun shapes, we can help make it fun for your whole family!
Bath Time
If you have babies, toddlers, or young kiddos at home who still need assistance in the bath or shower, this is a great activity to help with and connect with them. Bath time is a great calming activity for both the child and parent and can allow for great conversation and genuine connection before bedtime.
Innobaby has an entire line of silicone bath toys that do not harbor mold or mildew, as they are made of 100% silicone. Our scrubs and toys are perfect for the whole family, even the dog!
For more parenting tips, family products, and ways to celebrate each holiday, visit us at Innobaby.com!