How Working From Home Can Change Fatherhood for the Better
It's a new opportunity to teach your kids valuable lessons they wouldn't have seen the same way before
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The changing way we work gives fathers an opportunity to be involved with their children’s lives like never before. Working from home one day a week or full-time gives dads more time and flexibility to be with their kids. Instead of having to commute to and from an office where you can get the same work done as at home, there’s more time to help get kids ready for school, take time to improve yourself, or make that after-school practice.
People have gaps in their day where they can get time with their kids they never could before when working from home. Instead of eating lunch at a desk in an office you can play with, hug, and create time with your child you never had before. Those breaks and time before and after work without a commute add up to days and months over an extended period. It’s up to fathers to seize those opportunities to show society we are involved with our children.
There’re a lot of benefits to not having to go into the office for dad if disciplined. Working from home frees up all the time and work it takes to get ready to head into an office. It’s easier to get an early morning workout in to get your mind and body set for the day instead of spending it stressed out in traffic. You have more time to focus on your personal or spiritual growth. The odds of seeing growth milestones of your children increase which leads to happier fathers.
Working from home gives the opportunity to model positive habits, behaviors, and attitudes about work to our children. They can learn the importance of hard work and learn how mom and dad make a positive difference for their family and community. You want your child to learn the value and rewards of hard work and accomplishment. It’s an opportunity to show your children what leadership looks like in a different setting and it shows another side of you for them to look up to.
It’s important to set boundaries and expectations with your employer. Most companies promote work/life balance but don’t practice what they preach. They want you to always be available since we are connected to work email and chat apps that never stop on our phones. If you spend time working on your phone, when you should be playing with your kids, they will feel less important. You can’t give your kids the attention they deserve when multi-tasking.
Take advantage of working from home as much as possible to benefit you and your family. There are obvious challenges to working from home, but you can make the pros outweigh the cons if you are intentional. Make sure you have open lines of communication with your boss about your home situation. If your bosses are parents, they will have a better understanding of the extra demands and use that to build better work relationships.