How working parents are coping with the back-to-school whirlwind

Dear businesses everywhere, I have an important reminder for you at this time of year… Many of us parents are currently diving headfirst into the back-to-school whirlwind. While some may not think this has anything to do with work … the reality is that, for a lot of us, it most certainly does. Because there is no such thing as work-life balance. It is all life. At this time of year, working parents are: - Buying endless amounts of school supplies - Attending drop-in and meet-the-teacher days - Setting early morning alarms - Dealing with sleepy kids adjusting to a new routine - Getting back in the swing of packing snacks and lunches - Having age-old arguments over brushing teeth and getting shoes on - Making schedules work to get to after school pickup - Finding time to get homework done - Changing dinner times to accommodate extracurricular activities … just to name a few. Beyond that, many others (like me), have one child who has started school, and another who won’t start for another two weeks. So, if you notice your parent employees working from home a bit more, maybe with the camera off, asking to skip non-essential meetings, or coming into the office with a child in-tow… It’s not that we don’t care or that we’re absent. We’re just trying to stay afloat in the sea of schedules, snacks and sneakers. We’re not “hardly working.” We’re actually working extremely hard to balance it all—mom/parent, employee, and (relatively sane) human being. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated. Signed, Parents Everywhere Who Are Trying to Stay Afloat ————————- PS… Enjoy this picture of my 4 year old carrying his “briefcase” into my work today. #backtoschool #workingmom #workingparent #worklifebalance