Naturally Healthy Parenting The parent's guide to a healthy family
It is an age-old problem; how to work when you have a young family? Not only does the problem apply to busy mums, dads are affected by it too. Several decades ago it was usually the father who went out to work to support his family, but times have changed for the better. Now it is the responsibility of both parents to bring in an income. Perhaps more women delay their plan to start a family in favour of a career. But we live in great times and the rise of the internet has given us more opportunities than ever before.
If you have young children, or are about to start a family, here are some ideas that might help you to remain in employment.
Reduce Your Working Hours
People find that it is is not financially viable to pay for full-time child care while they go out to work. Of course, it is no problem to those with a huge salary many people work on low wages. The answer is to reduce your working hours if you can. Speak to your boss and see if you can both figure out a solution. Employers are often more approachable than you think in these situations, and if you are a valuable worker, they will not want to lose you.
Investigate Benefits
Are you aware of all the benefits for which you may qualify? As a parent, you can claim child tax credits and working tax credits if you work over a certain number of hours. They can make all the difference to your ability to support yourself and your family. Research them online at https://turbotax.intuit.com. There is plenty of information out there.
Work From Home
You might find that working from home is the ideal solution. Thanks to cloud-based software, file storage, and real-time collaboration, it is now possible to perform as if you were in the office. Housekeepers from Supercare understand that busy mums might not have time to run a home, work and look after children all at the same time. If homeworking enables you to remain in employment full time, perhaps you could afford to hire some help.
You will need to invest in some equipment, but it needn’t take up much space if you are wise. Buying equipment like an electric stapler will help make your life easier and reduce the amount of time your spend on mundane tasks. A comfortable chair is also important to prevent back pain. Buy items that connect wirelessly so that you can hide them away when not in use. Here is a list of suggested IT equipment for you.
- Computer. Laptops are ideal these days because they can easily cope with office applications and are portable.
- Printer. Most files will be digital, but there will be times when you need to print. Buy a wireless printer so that you can keep it in a cupboard and still use it from wherever you are working.
- Broadband / Telephone. You cannot work from home without broadband these days. It is essential for communication and rapid file transfer.
As you can see, the future is rosy for parents who wish to work. You can keep your career and look after your children if the cards fall in your favour. It may take a bit of luck, but with determination you can overcome most obstacles. It will be difficult at first, but you soon fall into a routine; take it from one who knows.
