Owlet

Learning how to balance work and family is another monumental responsibility for new parents. The world has changed since the pandemic, and for some families this means work looks very different than it used to. Even if you or your partner’s work situation remained the same, the pandemic has forever impacted the level of stress when it comes to returning to work, finding childcare, and keeping children safe and healthy.

Returning to work

If you are returning to work, this adds in many additional layers of pressure. Many employers offer assistance with finding reputable childcare, and also offer benefits such as Dependent Care which enable parents to use pretax money to contribute to the cost of childcare. If you work from home, it might mean that you now juggle your work responsibilities with your parenting responsibilities, or you’re balancing the challenge of having someone come to your home to care for your baby while you are in your home office. The bottom line is that families are under tremendous pressure to do it all and to make it look good on social media. It’s ok if you feel like you have days or weeks where you are barely managing it all. Give yourself the grace to accept yourself and acknowledge that you are doing your best for your family.