Making the Move to a Family Friendly Work Life by Michelle Vandepol

When we struggling along in the current job situation we have, even though on some level we know it’s not the best for our family, fear can cause us to stay there anyway. Amidst that fear, though we see others working at balanced life/work schedules they love. Why them and not us? It doesn’t have to be that way. You can make the move to change your work life. Whether it’s too much work, not enough pay, and too high of daycare costs or all of the above; taking the steps to make a change might be trickier for a little while as you transition to a new job or restructure your existing one, but then you’ll be glad you did it.

There are plenty of family friendly jobs. Surely there is one for you. The more companies that move in a family friendly direction, the more demand there is from working parents, the more working schedules and flexibility will work for all of us. If you haven’t brought up family friendly work practices with your management, now is the time. Many companies first shift to better serving their parent employees when they are asked to. Coming up with part time positions, working out benefit packages, juggling the schedule for a variety of hours all take effort and time and a company who is running smoothly as is will not likely to be looking to change things up without the idea presented to them as a place for growth.

Looking into getting a better fit for you will take some time. Wondering where you’re going to find it in your already time crunched life? Keep a notebook with you to make notes on the types of hours or job descriptions you’re looking for, fine tune descriptions of your skills for your resume, or sketch out a presentation of how to restructure your current job to give to your boss (once polished, of course). Likely, you’re thinking a lot about the work-life balance as it is. This notebook gives you a place to think it out on paper in a constructive manner.
It’s not uncommon for people to be uncomfortable with asking for something more flexible. Seek out a neighbour or acquaintance with a more forgiving schedule and ask them how they accomplished it. Often just having reassurance and having another set of eyes to look over your proposal will bolster your confidence and get you moving ahead.
Whether it’s by being a family friendly work pioneer at your current place of work or making a move to somewhere it’s already established, there are opportunities for you to make a move that’s better for you and your family. Take the time to check them out.