Parenting articles
The Psychology Foundation of Canada, now referred to as Strong Minds, Strong Kids, wrote a series of articles specifically for working parents. Below are links to various articles and resources for you to use.
- The Working Parent Time Crunch: How you think about time is as important as how you manage it asks questions to help you reflect on the emotional and psychological factors that affect your experience of “not enough time” as a working parent.
- Seven Ways For Parents To Get More Rest offers strategies to help you feel more rested without changing your life completely.
- Managing Transitions provides tips for managing daily transitions that can be stressful for working parents and their children.
- Helping Your Children Develop Resiliency provides tips on bouncing back from negativity and coping with challenges and adversity.
- When To Seek Professional Help For Your Child's Mental Health offers guidelines to help you know what to look for when you’re concerned about your child’s symptoms or behaviour.
- Helping Children Get More Rest offers strategies to help children and youth get more sleep – and get the many benefits that come with a good night’s slumber.
- Working Parent "Guilt" recommends focusing on your stress rather than your guilt.
- Finding Time For Self-Care offers an approach that may help you find time for yourself.
- Kids Have Stress Too looks at questions like "Where does children’s stress come from?" and "How do kids cope?"
Working from home comes with some unique challenges. See Working from home to learn strategies to support your well-being while balancing your personal and work life.
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Booklets and tip sheets
In addition to the 24/7 resources, the Psychology Foundation of Canada offers booklets, tip sheets and videos broken down by age and audience:
For parents of post-secondary students, check out From surviving to thriving: developing personal and academic resilienceTalking to stressed-out children
Resources for caring adults – This resource from Kids Help Phone includes tips for talking with young people about stress, sexuality, bullying, suicide and other challenging topics.
Peer support for family members
A family peer support network for the entire family of someone with a mental health challenge and/or addiction. All IN Family peer support offers free one-on-one and online support groups, workshops, and navigation of resources assistance for families in an effort to build a community of understanding, acceptance and hope.
Returning to work after parental leave
The transition from parental leave back to work can come with challenges and stress, like:
- Adjusting to a new routine of drop offs at childcare
- Commuting
- Settling back into a work environment
- Emotional strain of spending time away from your child
During this time most of us need support from friends, family, other parents, therapists or others.
These tips can aid with the transition:
Schedules
Many people – children and adults – find comfort in knowing what’s expected of them. Printing out a visual morning schedule for children can help ease the transition of leaving the house each morning. The schedule could include:
- Brush teeth
- Get dressed
- Have breakfast
- Pack your bag
- Space to add anything specific to the next day
Your children may be more inclined to stick to the schedule if they have input. And you could make creating the schedule a fun activity, with space to colour or to add stickers when they complete each item on the list.
Of course, you don’t want to add this chore to your busy morning routine. Whether the schedule is a simple printout or a work of art, update the list the night before and post it where you can’t miss it.
15 minutes the night before
Take time the night before to complete what you do ahead of time to reduce the stress of looking for items in the morning:
- Put out clothes
- Make lunches
- Set out work and school bags by the door
This can give you much-needed time to get where you need to go without feeling rushed.
Create space for moments
After being home with your baby 24 hours a day you may miss having quality time with them. Creating space in your daily routine can help. Try these ideas:
- Pack favourite books to read with your child when you have to wait together during appointments or shopping trips.
- Bring bubbles and a wand to stop on the way home and burn some energy outdoors.
- Pack a picnic and blanket (leave it at daycare or with the caregivers) and enjoy a pre-made meal outdoors.
Make time for nothing
Moving to a scheduled workday can be overwhelming for everyone. Where possible, it can be helpful to leave at least part of a day off unscheduled. Take time for:
- Long walks
- Playing outside with your kids
- Spending time unrushed.
Take a rain check on things that require you to be somewhere at a certain time – even if for a little while.
Partner with your care provider
Let your care provider, even if it’s family, know what you need. Many daycares and childcare providers offer a daily summary, photographs or updates to let you know about your child’s day. This helps you stay connected to how your child’s doing. If you have questions or concerns, write them down and book time to talk them through when the care provider has free time.
Time block
Day-to-day tasks in life, like those below, can feel overwhelming:
- Picking up a present for a party
- Getting the prescriptions
- Shopping for groceries
- Cleaning the bathroom
- Making doctors’ appointments
Often this can create a lot of stress. Having a running list reduces the mental energy required. And, by blocking time during the week – for example, during a coffee break or before or after work – you can cross these off your list with less effort.
The information above is compliments of Allison Venditti, Career Strategist & Return to Work Specialist. Allison is the creator of the Ready to Return program, Canada's first online program to support mothers returning to work from maternity leave. For more information, check out careerlove.ca.
Share this with anyone who is a working parent.