There is so much to talk about when it comes to juggling parenthood and work. Last week I wrote about my own experience with the initial steps into motherhood; notifying my line manager and, for the first time, learning how to stand up for something bigger than just myself in the context of work.
After having our second child, our daughter, I decided I wanted to spend more time at home with both our children through the early years. I made an agreement – initially a six month trial – with my employer to work in the office four days a week, and work from home every Friday. Now, keep in mind that this was long before the concept of virtual work existed. Back then, I relied on the landline, fax machine and a list of tasks I had lined up for myself while in-office. And fair to say, it was a challenge making it work.
I’m sure these feelings resonate with many parents, even today, with our increased interconnectedness as a result of technological advances, where access to places we aren’t present is made easier.
More so, the challenge was a psychological one. The choice of hybrid work because of children is generally made in order to pace yourself, have more flexibility in your day, and therefore be able to make space for more quality time with your children. But that’s very often where the guilt can step in, a weighted sense of responsibility over your work.
When I chose for hybrid work, I noticed that on the day that I was working from home I ended up working longer hours than I would have had I been in-office, as a way to make up for not being present in the workplace. I felt as though I needed to be available at all times. Thus, defeating the purpose of choosing to work from home.
So, once again, I had to remind myself that the results I was driving were no less, whether I was working from home or I was in-office. Even though technology has advanced since, and many more collaboration tools are available to us, there remains the challenge of pacing yourself and setting boundaries. Just because you work from home, that does not mean you are less productive. On the contrary, with the right mindset, alignment of expectations and self-care it can offer a win-win for you and your employer.
