working parent

Making the Most of Summer as a Working Parent

School is out for summer, but work isn’t! If you are a working parent with little ones, you have probably wondered how you are possibly going to juggle the kids being off school while you still have to work!

Boy and girl playing in the sand

Summer is an exciting time that can come with summer camps, vacations, holidays, and more. As a working parent, you may be thinking to yourself, “how can I fit all of this in while still having to work?” The good news is, you can still make great memories with your children in the summer while getting your work done by trying some of the tips below!

  • Make the most of the time that you have. Plan activities in advance. Use a family calendar to keep track of everyone’s schedules.
  • Spend as much time outdoors as you can! There are many benefits to playing outside for kids and it is a great way to make memories with your children. Go for a walk, blow bubbles, do sidewalk chalk, even if its just 10 minutes a day!
  • Explore the idea of a flexible work arrangement. Will your job allow you to adjust your hours for summer or work more remote days? If you cannot make those types of accommodations, try to be as productive as you can at work so you can keep your time off as your personal time!
  • Stay connected with your kids. “Check in” with your kids daily. Ask them how their day went and if there is anything they want to share. In my family, at dinner time we go around and everyone shares the best part of their day and if there were any hard parts in the day. This can go a long way when you feel like you have missed some summer moments with the kids while you’re working.
  • Maximize your weekends. Plan short trips, attend local fairs, festivals, and farmers markets. You may not be able to go take a week long vacation, but can you make your weekends a mini vacation?

When you are a working parent, you may find yourself feeling guilty about not being able to be at home with your kids in the summer. You can still make the most of your time by trying the tips mentioned and remembering that you are making memories too!

Written By: Erin Ruggiero, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Medina County, ruggiero.46@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Fairfield County, carter.413@osu.edu

References:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/power-of-play/Pages/playing-outside-why-its-important-for-kids.aspx

https://fit.sanfordhealth.org/blog/checking-in-with-your-kids

Are You Experiencing Parental Burnout?

mad holding head seated at his office desk

Psychology Today defines burnout as “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.” Parental Burnout is experiencing those forms of exhaustion due to parenting. For example, I get myself up earlier than my family to get myself ready so then I can get everyone else ready. Then its getting kids dressed, packing lunches, getting backpacks ready, and reminding them for the 100th time to put their shoes on. By the time I get to work, I’ve already put in a couple of hours. After my 8-hour workday is complete, I’m rushing home to help with homework and fix dinner before it’s back out the door for sporting practices and/or games. The evening concludes with getting the kids to set their clothes out for the next day, baths, and bed. I fall asleep praying that everyone sleeps through the night and then wake up the next morning and do it all over again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

In 2022, The Ohio State University Office of the Chief Wellness Officer and College of Nursing released a working parental burnout report. In the report they shared that “burnout is associated with depression, anxiety and increased alcohol consumption in working parents, as well as the likelihood for parents to be irritable, get easily angered with their children or  engage in punitive parenting practices (i.e. yelling, insulting/criticizing, curing, spanking).”

Are you feeling a little burned out? Ask yourself these 10 questions to assess:

  1. I get/feel easily irritated with my children.
  2. I feel I am not the good parent I used to be with my child(ren).
  3. I wake up exhausted at the thought of another day with my children.
  4. I find joy in parenting my children.
  5. I have guilt about being a working parent, which affects how I parent.
  6. I feel like I am in survival mode as a parent.
  7. Parenting my child is stressful.
  8. I lose my temper easily with my children.
  9. I feel overwhelmed trying to balance my job and parenting responsibilities.
  10. I am doing a good job being a parent.

If you find that you are in severe burnout, please consider seeking help from your healthcare provider. If you feel you’re mildly to moderately in burnout, you can take action by starting some preventive interventions such as:

typewriter with paper saying parental self-care
  1. Practice good self-care
  2. Be kind to yourself.
  3. Talk to someone you trust about how you are feeling.
  4. Build your mental resiliency and coping skills.
  5. Ask for help.

Interested in learning more about this topic? I encourage you to check out the tips and tricks webinar where they go deeper into this topic.

In the short term, we feel like we can power through, but in the long term, we are neglecting our own basic needs. Taking a little time each day to nurture your well-being will help you be a happier person. You and your family deserve the best possible you!

Written by:  Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Washington County.

Reviewed by: Alisha Barton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Miami County.

Sources:

Fradin, K. (2023, April 13). I’m a prediatrician-here are the unseen challenges working parents are facing. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/90879953/the-unseen-challenges-working-parents-are-facing

Psychology Today. (n.d.). Burnout. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout

The Ohio State University Chief Wellness Officer. (n.d.). Burned out by pandemic parenting? You’re not alone . Retrieved from https://wellness.osu.edu/chief-wellness-officer/parent-burnout