As a work-at-home mum coming from a corporate background, I am grateful for being able to work on my business around my kids. My husband has a great job too and he can take on the bulk of the financial commitment, while I offer a cushion around the end of living costs.
But regardless of his employment status and both of us being working parents, Hubby still has to flit back and forth during the week, from fatherhood to professional employee (just as working mothers have to do too), and it can’t be easy when he has four children hanging off his suit before he’s even had the chance to eat breakfast.
Being a working dad is hard. Like mums, when fathers get ready for parenthood, they don’t have the pregnancy’s physical changes to help them prepare for parenthood, nor do they factor in the two different people they have to be at work and at home (or work at home/stay at home). So, I had a lengthy conversation with my other half and Hubby has offered some advice for working dads on how he functions as a working father, to achieve as much work/life balance as possible. And, as with many other things in life for working fathers, it isn’t so black and white. Here are a working dad’s tips on managing everything
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A working dad’s tips on managing everything – Prepare for work the night before
We’re winging it in the mornings, getting the kids ready for school, while managing two babies, so when hubby is rushing around trying to get his stuff together, the kids have ‘play with Daddy’ in mind. Sometimes, it’s the only Daddy-time they get that day, so it’s natural they want to get as much of him as possible before he leaves in the morning (around 7.30am).
But, this causes a problem for Hubby when he has to prepare for the long and arduous work day ahead. So time management is key here. Hubby prepares for work the night before, so he’s not rushing around in the morning. He gathers all the bits and bobs the night before, so that he can literally pick everything up and leave. That way, dad maximises his time balancing work prep with his kids in the morning, with minimised stress and rushing around.
Spend some time with the other half – and rest!
Hubby works full time, full on hours, so he often gets home around 7.30pm if he’s lucky. There will be times when the dishwasher hasn’t been done or the floor still has food on it. I normally aim to tackle all of those things when the kids are finally asleep, but hubby takes it upon himself to clean up anything that I haven’t done. It can sometimes be a small task, but the effect it has on me is astounding.
Leave work at work
So much easier said than done, but if hubby has had a bad day at work, the vibe is overwhelming when he (unintentionally) brings that stress home. So, he tries to sort the issue(s) away from home, at least, when the kids are up. If they’re asleep, then venting and talking to me about any issues he had at work can be therapeutic for him.
The lines can be blurred when hubby becomes work at home dad, but kids don’t need to feel the stress and anger in Daddy’s voice, especially if he’s snapping at them about something totally unrelated to their behaviour. It’s just not fair and it doesn’t do anyone any good.
Delegation is diamond!
At work, Hubby manages a team of people, whom he often delegates tasks to his employees. He also can hire people, so he needs to have the right people on the job, which means he does the due diligence, undertakes background check prices and hires the right employee for the job. Taking this part of the role seriously means he can leave work at work, knowing he has the right people on the job when he’s at home.
Dress sharp
Whether we like it or not, Hubby is a representative of our family – we do carry his last name after all. So, when Hubby accompanies me to school activities where he gets to meet the teachers, I know those teachers are making snap judgements on our family.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but as Hubby dresses smart, people tend to treat him in a more professional way. Of course, he’s not always donning a suit and tie everywhere he goes, but he will still try to look smart by wearing smart men’s jumpers and jeans. Wool Overs offer some fantastic mens jumpers on sale at the moment, which are super smart and office-worthy. Hubby wears them a lot and I think he looks rather dapper in them.
The children follow our example, so if we dress and act smart, they will likely end up doing the same.
Be proud of being a working dad and all you do for the family
What responsibilities should a working father and husband have if his wife stays home?
There is no one rule on how the roles should work, even if you’re a dad working from home or you’re a full time dad at home. It is best to first talk roles together to decide how to divide-and-conquer managing finances, kids and related topics and then just trial and error it until you find a medium that works.
Should working dads help with night feeds?
They can, but I thought it would be better for Hubby to get some sleep so, even though daddy is working during the day, he is 100% there and engaged with the kids when he comes home and to do that, he needs sleep! But, everyone’s account of how they deal with life during the night will be different, so go with what works best for your family.
Free infographic!
Working dads, print this infographic out and stick it somewhere where you can remind yourself how awesome you are!
*Collaborative featured post*
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