Parenting hasn’t been about mum, dad and 2.2 kids in a long time.
But are we really supporting #parents in the #workplace as the shape of #families evolve?
Do we see the hidden signs of parental #stress? Do we know when a colleague becomes:
– a step parent
– a #singleparent
– a parent going through separation or divorce
I became a step parent overnight. I didn’t know how to talk about it, I didn’t know what to say to my line manager. I hadn’t had a child, so I wasn’t seen as a #parent, there were no visible role models, I had no one to turn to.
In a recent report from the Office for National Statistics, it showed that:-
– 50% of all children come from #separated households
– More than 1 in 3 families are headed by a single parent
It’s not just the make up, but the break up of the #family relationships, which can cause so many parents to feel the impact on their work and #careers.
Sometimes, there are no visible signs of the stress that #parents are under. Although parenting starts with maternity/paternity leave, some become parents without this start – and this really is the “start”. #parenthood is a journey with a myriad of ups and downs, all of which we go through whilst trying to maintaining our #focus and #productivity in the workplace.
We’ve come a long way in helping parents at the start of their journey, but how much are we doing to help parents in the workplace throughout the whole #parenting journey.
It isn’t ALL about #flexibleworking, it’s not just about time, it’s about the mental load, the long term impact on our #mentalhealth and #wellbeing. The ability to be #effective in the workplace whilst trying to navigate the #emotional challenges and pulls on your family life. It’s positively adapting your life with the changes needed to support the new #family make up, whilst dealing with the emotional turmoil of the break up and still be #productive in the workplace.
Parents are the primary pillars of our #future #workforce and by proactively supporting them through the parenting journey, the ripple effect will be seen in businesses in so many ways – through better #communication, improved sense of #community, #teamwork, #advocacy and a decline in #burnout and #mentalhealth issues.
If your #business would like help in developing a proactive parenthood plan, click on the link and let’s have chat about how we can help all parents to thrive in the workplace.
