|
Balancing work and family from home can often be difficult for a stay-at-home mom. The kids and the dog are running through
the house and disturbing your concentration; the phone rings off the hook almost always when you're in the middle of an important
piece of work; and the kids don't realize that you're hard at work, even though you're just sitting at your desk focused at
the computer screen. Oh, the challenges!
Balancing work and family from home can be difficult but not impossible. Your family has to understand that your work
is just as important as if you were working outside the home. I have discovered a few secrets of my own to make it happen
and be profitable for the family as well. All is not lost, and certainly there can be a way for peace in the house even with
children running around, the dog wanting attention, and your husband wanting dinner!
First of all, my advice for balancing work and family from home is to create a quiet office setting, if possible, somewhere
with an office door. My husband installed simple pine doors to my office, and that shut out the noise from the rest of the
house. I could actually hear what I was doing and concentrate on it as well. It's really an inexpensive way to gain peace
and sanity. And also, when the office doors are shut, your family knows you are working and knows not to disturb you.
Second of all, balancing work and family from home can be accomplished easier with a phone with Caller ID. What a God-send!
I used to answer every call that came through, because my children were in school at the time, and I didn't want to miss an
emergency call. Or my husband's father is ill, and I didn't want to ignore his call in case he needed us for some reason.
Now, all I have to do is look at the number and decide beforehand if I should answer it. It's wonderful. If you don't want
to do that route, purchase a reliable answering machine that will pick up after two rings, so you don't have to listen to
repeated ringing of the phone, and then check your messages when you get a chance, and decide whether or not you want to return
the call right away.
Furthermore, balancing work and family from home is not impossible when the kids are home from school during vacations
or for the summer, because rules can easily be made that everyone can abide by. For instance, my kids used to think I was
home at their beck and call to transport them back and forth to friend's houses. I had to quickly set the rule within reason
that no transporting was going to happen during normal work hours. Their friends would have to wait until either the end of
the work day or until the weekends. At first, this wasn't easy for my kids to understand, but now I hear them telling their
friends on the phone, "My mom is working right now, but maybe later we can get together." They have finally understood
the importance of my work at home.
Lastly, my husband supports me greatly in my work, and he realizes that when he gets home sometimes, dinner is not always
going to be ready to serve at the table, and also the dishes might still be in the sink from breakfast and lunch. If I was
at an outside job, the same thing would occur, wouldn't it? So, don't beat yourself up if everything is not as tidy as you
would like it to be. Just sit your husband and children down and have a chat with them about the importance of your work and
the contribution it makes to the family. I can guarantee that not only will your family respect you for balancing work and
family from home, but they will try to support you in every way possible too.
Want Good Kids? Eat Dinner Together!
Most American families are coping with long workdays, after-school activities, and an otherwise extremely hectic schedule.
All too often, family meals are the first thing to get squeezed out of the schedule. Just one or two generations ago, it was
the norm to see family members sit together, bow their heads in prayer, say "please" and "thank you",
and ask about the day each family member has had. But now, the family dinner is more out of Norman Rockwell than in American
reality. If you want to raise well adjusted, caring, and achievement oriented children, bringing back the family meal is imperative.
The Bureau of Labor statistics reports that the average American family spends more than $2000 per year on dinners away
from home, with 10 percent of those dinners coming from McDonalds. More than half of the dinners eaten by overweight American
children are consumed in front of the television. But meals eaten with family consist about 50% more fruits and vegetables
than meals consumed alone. Family meals are three times more likely to include low-fat choices and that 40 percent less soda
is consumed at family meals.
Eating dinner as a family instills the importance of good nutrition for our children. A Harvard University study of 16,000
nine-year olds found that those who ate dinner with their parents regularly are more likely to have higher intakes of essential
nutrients and vitamins. A parent who commits to a healthy diet will encourage their children to recognize the importance of
good nutrition. Mealtime is also an excellent time to teach your children proper behavior as well as good nutrition. Sitting
down for a family meal is a symbol of love, connections, and communications. Family meals reflect involved parents, who want
the opportunity both to talk and to listen to what their kids have to say. Mealtimes can provide quality time for the whole
household, fostering family unity and trust, and providing a setting for moral and intellectual discussions that reflect family
values. Chatting around the dinner table encourages children to talk to their parents about sensitive issues. This is also
a great time to reinforce family traditions and cultural heritage. Family meals may actually enhance the well-being of teens.
A study reported in the 2003 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that adolescents who frequently sat down
to family meals had better grades, less depression, and were less likely to drink alcohol, smoke, or use marijuana than kids
who ate with their families less than twice a week.
Picking up take-out, ordering pizza. or going out to eat still counts as a family meal. Even when you don't cook at home,
take uninterrupted time to eat and enjoy one another's company. Families that eat together more than likely stay strong and
well balanced together. I realize that our crazy, commute fueled, long work hours lifestyle makes it quite hard to find the
strength and energy to sit down and have a formal meal together. Start slowly, and build up to a number that works with everyone's
schedule. Your children will thank you for it (probably later, much later)!
|
