Introduction
Society compels individuals to engage in productive activities to provide for their needs and those of their families. In fact, close to 65 percent of the United States population engages in full and part time works to secure a living (Kossek, Pichler, Meece & Barrat, 2008). In addition to meeting financial essentials, there is a need to meet one’s caregiving and social responsibilities regarding their families. Specifically, parents ought care for their children, spend time with them while monitoring their growth, attend their doctors. In infancy the level of responsibility is heightened and the parents, especially the mother in many cases, have to offer essential caregiving practices. As much as one is justified to claim that they ought to spend most of their time caring for their infants, it is worth appreciating that they also have workplace responsibilities, and they also have workplace responsibilities, and they need to manage their time and attention accordingly. This paper evaluates the impact childcare has on parenting, parent well-being, and the parent’s work environment.
Stress sources
The Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology argues that, caring for an infant is stressful for a working parent. According to Payne, Cook and Diaz (2012), most parents would rather hire third party organizations to take care of their children in their early stages so that they can keep up with other responsibilities. This is largely accredited to the fact that mothers have to worry about the welfare of their child at all times while finding time to complete what is required of them in the work environment. As a result, the division of attention and tension caused by the requirements from both parties lead them into developing constant stress (Payne, Cook and Diaz, 2012). In some cases, heightened stress levels result in depression thus affecting their productivity and their caregiving skills for infants. As such, there is a negative impact on their health development since there is very little time to care for personal health.
Reasons of depression
In case parents have more than one developing child, the development of depression caused by failing to beat deadlines and meet the responsibilities of parenthood occurs. Poms, Bostford, Kaplan, Buffardi and O’Brien (2009) argue that nearly 65 percent of parents working in a corporate organization find it challenging to balance work and family affairs. In most cases, work responsibilities always seem to overpower employees working parents. As a result, they spare minimal time to complete their parental responsibilities while monitoring their children’s development (Poms, Bostford, Kaplan, Buffardi and O’Brien, 2009). Development of depression takes place among the parents as it becomes difficult to do what the organization they work in expects of them and the welfare their children’s welfare. Anderson and Paludi(1986) maintain that withdrawal relationships are most imminent as the children feel distant to the parents. Similarly, the parents perceive themselves as failures since they cannot effectively handle family and work affairs. As a result, childcare negatively impacts a parent’s wellbeing.
Combination of work and childcare
The Academy of Management Journal maintains that parentage among working individuals negatively affects their psychology and results in low self-esteem in case of failure (Kossek, Colquitt & Noe, 2001). Contrastingly, children are a source for happiness and they enhance their parent’s happiness. Sure enough they do. However, the case is different when other responsibilities are in question. Precisely, the management expects its employees to make the most of their time to enhance the performance of the company. As a result, parents working in such organizations have to dedicate their time to enhance their productivity by developing a positive impact to the endeavors of the organizations they work for (Kossek, Colquitt & Noe, 2001). However, there is a similar responsibility accorded with parentage. Precisely, the parent has to spend time in developing a warm relationship with their child. These conflicting interests reduce the productivity of the parents. As such, is difficult to sustain their responsibilities and this compromises their psychological welfare. In most cases, they develop lower self-esteem in case of failure.
Health risks and benefits
Proper health is essential in the work environment. Lack thereof leads to the development of complex health related problems since the corporate environment engages one’s body activities (Baron & Kenny, 1986). In response to the caregiving responsibilities of a working parent, it is worth acknowledging the fact that childcare related stress affects the wellbeing of the parent as it heightens their vulnerabilities to disease attacks. According to the Journal of Occupational Health and Psychology, higher stress levels enhance the chance of one suffering from depression related illnesses if they do not dedicate time to oversee their psychological wellbeing (Allen, Herst, Bruck and Sutton, 2000). Owing to the fact that the parent finds it difficult to balance work related and childcare responsibilities, it is difficult to spare some time to visit a psychologist to offer insight on the importance of utilizing stress management techniques. Absenteeism due to childcare has negative effects to the welfare of a parent. Similarly, not dedicating enough time to monitor the development of their child is equally unforgiving.
In contrast to the abovementioned negative effects, it is essential to note that there are some health benefits achievable through proper time management. Baron and Kenny (1986) argue that the motivation of being a parent drives one into doing their best while in the work environment. As a result, it enhances their productivity in the work environment. When this happens, there is a positive impact on their health and they are more likely to extend the compassion to their children. As a result, it enhances the relationship between the parent and the child and equally acts as a motivation to achieving better results while in the work environment. Additionally, parents tend to dedicate the little time they have with their children in enhancing their relationship. As a result, the child grows fonder of his or her parent through constructive interaction for the limited time they have. This relationship is essential in the overall development of the infant. Consequently, the impact of the work environment on parentage can be positive depending on the nature of the job the parent engages in and the effort to relate with their children.
Parenting and work balancing
It is essential for parents to balance their work responsibilities with that of parenthood. Lack thereof jeopardizes an effective development for the child and reduces the parent’s efficiency in their corporate fields. Primarily, improper time and responsibilities management leads to the development of stress. This results in depression among the parents thereby compromising their parental care skills and their productivity at their work environments. Additionally, heightened stress levels enhance the parent’s vulnerability to disease attack since they dedicate lesser time to their physical and psychological welfare. As a result, it is essential to strike an effective balance between work and parentage as lack thereof has detrimental effects on the development of the child, the health of the parent and the stability of the organization these individuals work for. However, if an effective balance is met, the abovementioned problems can be easily handled. As a result, the impact of childcare management on the health of a parent is largely dependent on how they respond to their responsibilities.
Parenting of children with behavioral problems
Caring for a child with behavioral problems leads to bigger stress for working parents than parenting a child with normal behavior. It turns to be quite demanding and takes much more time to deal with such kids. Family is a top priority issue for most people, but anyone should be able to have some time for personal needs and preferences. Working parents spend most of their time for taking care of children and work, forgetting about their own interests and lacking time for their favorite hobbies (Breevaart & Bakker, 2011). Children with behavioral problems need more time for educating and rendering care and attention, that’s why parents of such children are more occupied, than the parents of children with typical behavior. Personal time is a powerful stress releasing tool, and when it is absent, strain and conflicts can develop within a family. Marital problems can be even more stressful for parents, than caring for a child with behavioral problems. Sometimes the situation is repeated in circle. It is essential to find some ways of coping with it.
Social support is highly helpful in these circumstances. The role of relatives and close friends should not be underestimated. They can help parents of children with behavioral problems to free some time for them and take care of their own health and wellbeing, as well as reinforce their marriage.
Parenting of children with developmental delay
One more category of working parents is families with children with developmental delay. It this case not only some additional time for education, but some extra time for medical care is needed. Financial, social and physical stress can accompany the parenting. The difficulties of the child and the kid’s behavior are the biggest stress factors. Therefore most parents of children with developmental delay experience increased stress level. Children with intellectual disabilities demand some additional attention and worries. It is highly difficult to combine work with taking care of a child in this case for both parents. In case if there is social support, the overall wellbeing of a family can be attained. The working parents of children with developmental delay should acquire necessary coping techniques and methods of stress managing. Such children have more maladaptive behavior, which has to be dealt with. The parents are more preoccupied by the children’s diagnosis, finding friends for their children and adapting to their individual differences (Lopez, Clifford, Minnes, & Quellette-Kuntz, 2008). Raising a child with developmental delays or disabilities can be exhausting and their work obligations can be undermined. The poor work performance in its turn influences self-esteem of a parent and increases the stress level. Flexible working hours can improve the situation, and the compromise between work and childcare can be achieved (Ellison, Barker & Kulasuriya, 2009). The situation can also be improved in cases, where sufficient social support is received.
Economic stress in parenting
Such social circumstances as economic problems in a family with working parents can result in parenting crisis, leading to emotional and mental impairment. Socio-economic status impacts on the level of stress and endangers mental and physical health of working parents. Thus for instance mothers, who experience lack of finances, are more likely to get angry at their kids and blame their children for irritating them intentionally. They think that their kids refuse to get away toys because of their nastiness and disobedience, and ignore their wish to continue the game (Cronin, Becher, Christians, Mahler & Dibb, 2015). The general dissatisfaction with life and living conditions influences the attitude of working parents to their kids. They are dissatisfied with their jobs and salaries first and then it all overspills to the family life and to their attitude to children. There is one way for working parents to make their children happy, which is to be happy themselves. Family life and parenting habits will suffer a great deal, until this condition is satisfied. Someone who is constantly worried about economic consistency will be unstable in parenting approaches as well. Financial concerns can lead to divorce, which highly increases parental stress and has bad health consequences.
Stress factors of single working parents
A single working parent is an extremely vulnerable and subject to stress individuum. The hardships of growing up a child together with covering economic gaps demand a lot of effort and mental ballast. Not only financial difficulties, but psychological strains, connected with the absence of a spouse, who could make everyday contribution to the child’s parenting are depressing and health destroying. A single working parent has twice as little time for personal needs, as two working parents have, and he or she is not always capable of replacing a spouse in necessary skills, which a child should be taught and trained. Much stress results in emotional and physical health risks, such as headaches, backaches, substance abuse and even nervous breakdown. Child-rearing alone is not the reason of these consequences. It is usually the whole bunch of social and environmental reasons, which are elevated for single parents (Cronin, Becher, Christians, Mahler & Dibb, 2015).
Working parents and families’ diets
One more critical factor for working parents’ wellbeing is a balanced family diet. Parenting is inseparable from nutrient-enriched family meal preparation. The importance of healthy food for a family cannot be underestimated. Working parents do not usually have enough time for food preparation; sometimes the role of a person in charge of cooking is debatable in a family. When two parents are working and both have no time for cooking, it is essential that spouses should clench the matter without getting into conflicts.
Meals prepared outside are usually higher in calories, sugar and fat and comprise less fresh fruit and vegetables. Fast food diets can lead to obesity and weight gain, as well as diabetes. Children’s diets depend on their parent’s choice (Devine, 2009). Health condition and overall life satisfaction depends on the food consumed to a great extent. It is the fuel that gives necessary energy to live and fight everyday stress, and it should really help to do it and not prevent it. Family meals have a great parenting power; they unite the whole family and give an opportunity to discuss personal matters and problems of each family member together. It is a good way to release stress and strain of hard working days. Moreover, healthy home prepared food is nourishing a brain and a body and is a family health insurance.
Mechanisms of coping with parental stress
Even in the worst and the most difficult situations there are always some ways of coping with stress. The highest percentage of life consists of people’s reaction to definite circumstances. Changing the reaction can help to deal with the situation itself.
Cronin, Becher, Christians, Mahler and Dibb (2015) outline adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms. Maladaptive behavior is not helpful and includes such actions as substance abuse, display of aggression and violence, ignorance of parental obligations. Adaptive techniques are much more rewarding and are strongly recommended to working parents, who do not know, how to behave with their kids and how to avoid tensions within a family. Methods of problem solving and emotional regulation are among adaptive coping mechanisms (Cronin, Becher, Christians, Mahler & Dibb, 2015). A person can change reaction to stress and be able to review the situation calmly without excess disturbing emotions and actions, such as yelling, crying or accusing. Conflicts ending up with slamming the door and screaming are likely to provoke divorces. Children, who grow up in families, where parents cannot control their emotions, turn to become nervous and apt to sicknesses and psychological disorders.
The behavior, which emerges as a reaction to stress, influences wellbeing, as well as future development and condition of relationship in a family. Aggressive and unrestrained behavior can result in such health problems, as headache or high blood pressure (Cronin, Becher, Christians, Mahler & Dibb, 2015). These consequences are usually experienced by all family members, who were onlookers and participants of the stressful or conflict situation. Such easy methods as a deep breath or taking a break can be a rescue option. Positive thinking and reframing a situation to a constructive and optimistic direction have the most powerful impact in any stressful event (Cronin, Becher, Christians, Mahler & Dibb, 2015).
Conclusion
Separate stressors are not as dangerous as their accumulation. People are usually quite capable of overcoming some solitary stressful situations and it is much more difficult, when they all come together. Irritating colleagues at work, household chores at home, children’s homework and naughty behavior and bad general state in one day cannot be the best parenting condition. In families, where there are two spouses, it is recommended to take care of each other, be attentive, careful and sympathetic with the state of each other. When parents show their warmth to children and to each other, all family members tend to behave and feel themselves better even in the most stressful economic or crisis conditions.
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