Parenting When Parents Work

Parenting When Both Parents Work

Becoming a parent is a life-changing and challenging experience. Focuses shift from oneself and partner to the child. The attention a child needs becomes a priority, but this is not always a possibility. Child rearing is costly, and the necessity to work is required, often by both parents. The additional strain of both parents working full time can affect both the child and parents. Full-time work creates less time for leisure activities and time parents have available to spend with their children and with each other. Carita Hakansson, Anna Axmon, and Frida Eek analyze the struggles working parents face, in their article, “Insufficient time for leisure and perceived health and stress in working parents

The rate of perceived stress was on a scale that included fourteen different facets of stressors, while health was a subjective test in which participants rated their health on a scale from very bad to could not feel any better. The Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory was used to assess work-related fatigue - which incorporates five different levels of fatigue and analyzed at the end of a typical workday, and subjective health was analyzed over a thirty-day period and used the Lund Subjective Health Complaints measure (Hakansson et al., 2016). Regarding leisure time, participants answered questions regarding their activities, relaxation, time with children, time with partner, hobbies, exercise, and relaxation (Hakansson et al., 2016). The results found that full-time working parents had less time for relaxation, time with their children and partner, and therefore, increased stress and fatigue levels (Hakansson et al., 2016). Working full time did not, however, have a significant effect on health (Hakansson et al., 2016). It was noted that women experienced a feeling of greater stress and fatigue and a sense of an inadequate amount of time for leisure than men (Hakansson et al., 2016). These findings are consistent with the intent of the study and support the objective to determine if full-time work effects parents’ stress

The demands of children and society often require the need for dual income earning families when raising children, as they create additional expenses. Parent-child relationships formed through interactions, support, and security are beneficial for the child. A parent typically has an innate sense to provide and be present for their children. When work takes a parent away from their child, it can create feelings of neglect or conflicts of interest and responsibility. Also, as noted by Hakansson et al., full-time work creates a feeling of stress and fatigue in working parents (2016). It is important that a parent realizes the stress that occurs due to their work schedule and schedules time to have memorable interaction and experiences with their child. The stress caused by work is not the fault of the child. However, they are often the one affected most by this stress. Parents can become short-tempered, pre-occupied, irritable, and worn out after a full day at work. A child demands additional energy and attention from an already exhausted parent. It is important that the parent does not take out their stress and fatigue on the child, but rather that they find coping mechanisms and ways to renew their energy level for their child. Planning regular leisure activities with the child, partner, and other adults can help alleviate the feeling of insufficiency and improve stress levels. Knowing that fatigue and stress