Maintaining a work-life balance can be difficult when you have a demanding job. This situation also makes it harder for you to commit to and be dependable with co-parenting plans.
You want to find a compromise of being an involved parent and a consistent partner in parenting while continuing to advance your career. Here are three ways to help you co-parent despite your work demands.
Make a case for having an alternative workweek
You can have a conversation with your boss and explain your need for telework or an alternative schedule to allow more time for co-parenting. If you can show no loss in productivity and how you can avoid the need to take unplanned time off for co-parenting with an alternative workweek, you give yourself a greater chance of having your request approved.
Use your favorite productivity and performance tools
You may already have a work tool that you could use at home to help manage co-parenting. For example, consider productivity apps, mounted whiteboards, and other tools you may use at work to improve your efficiency at home.
Invest time in developing associates at work
If you can commit in the short-term to training your junior employees to take on larger and more complex tasks, you can free up more of your time. This extra help can allow you to slightly decrease the demands of your job and redistribute that time to co-parenting.
Delegation is an especially effective co-parenting tool, though it can be time-consuming for you to implement initially. However, it can be your greatest asset in successful co-parenting. Slowly incorporate other caregivers or assistants into your plan to accomplish more in less time and you are likely to see the payoff.