Bindiya chats about parent guilt and how she navigates a work-life balance.
Parent guilt – if you know, you know! It definitely exists and I get this all the time, from going to work to planning a dinner out with friends. How do I attempt to overcome this guilt? It’s tough, but I’d have no self-identity without some ‘me’ time. As a parent, it’s quite easy to fall into the trap of revolving your entire life around your children. But I believe it’s equally important to have time away from them to just be you.
I made the decision to go back to work when my daughters were still quite young. I questioned the juggle and struggle I knew I’d face, but here I am two years on, happy I made the decision that I did. Why? Because I have a happy work-life balance. I get to spend quality time with my family at the weekends and I also have the flexibility to work around my children’s school timings. I love being there for them at school drop-offs and pick-ups, and being available for school events and clubs. Away from parent life, I get some time to be ‘me’ and spend time around adults… with conversations that don’t just revolve around my family!
It sounds exhausting, and it definitely can be. So, how do I make it work? I find that having a routine and preparing as much as I can in advance allows for a stress-free life. I like to plan and prepare for the mornings the night before, and even meal planning at the weekend, so that I know what I’ll be cooking every evening. What I find really useful is having a weekly chart where I can note down appointments, after school/weekend clubs, meals for the evenings and any other useful information that makes my life that little easier. These things work for me, but are different for everyone! You just have to find what works for you.
I use the same method at work, planning, prepping, and having a ‘to-do’ list to help navigate through the week. There’s nothing quite like the sense of satisfaction when ticking off actions on a to-do list.
How do you navigate through work and life to achieve the right balance?