6 things every working parent wishes for

An understanding boss..heaven

Working parents don’t have it easy but that’s not to say staying at home with the kids is any easier. However, there are a few things that working parents dream about 
  • Less working hours- Any parent would love to have a few less working hours during the day as once a parent works 8 hours between commuting and sorting the kids the day is gone! If we could follow Sweden’s route and have a 6-hour working day which they say has promoted better productivity it would give parents an added two hours; Great huh?!
  • Free childcare- One of the major gripes of working outside the home is managing to pay the childcare bill at the end of the month and balancing the bills etc. It doesn’t seem fair that for all the hours worked that a huge amount of it goes back into childcare. Yes, you did decide to have children but there should be better supports for families working and if anything, it would encourage people to work if their money wasn’t flittered away at childcare. 
  • Extra days off- One extra day off would be great, wouldn’t it? The weekend is spent doing laundry, cooking for the week ahead and dropping the kids to many different parties and events. One extra day would mean you might have time for an actual rest and not have to spend all day running yourself into the ground before the working week begins again. 
  • Well-behaved kids- All kids have their moments but when you are working it is hard managing the boldness sometimes as it is the last thing you need after a day at work. Most parents must answer emails etc. after hours and this on top of the kid who is refusing to eat his broccoli is downright annoying!
  • Understanding bosses- Not all bosses are easy to work for and some will never understand or care about the pressures of home and work balance. It is hopefully a thing of the past as new and younger companies are on the rise and promoting a better working environment for their employees. Some are building on-site childcare facilities as well as gyms or restaurants to help their staff manage their life better. Doing this is beneficial as happy staff equals a better production rate. 
  • Kids who sleep through the night- Say what you like about working parents but there quite literally isn’t anything worse than working a whole day when you had a few hours’ sleep if any. Trying to stay focused and productive when you are sleep deprived is probably one of parent’s biggest struggles and if the kids did sleep through it would be easier for parents. 
Working parents may not be able to have all these things and will continue to dream but hopefully in time things will change and a better life and work balance will be accessible to everyone who has to work outside the home. 
Written by Emma Hayes staff writer for Family Friendly HQ

Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes is a busy mum to two girls aged 17 and 11 and is married to her childhood sweetheart.

Read more by Emma
{{ post.excerpt }}
{{ post.content.formatted }}

What is Family Friendly HQ?

Family Friendly HQ is Ireland’s trusted parenting community, dedicated to mums and dads, and families of all shapes and sizes.

Read more about us