The American society has seen a shift in traditional roles. An increasing number of mothers are compromising on their domestic responsibilities for a 9-to-5 job at an office and other jobs at odd hours to give their families a better living standard. The brutal economic recession and its vicious aftermath have forced parents to make tough choices, like making mothers compromise on their family life and work odd hours. With such tight working mom schedule at hand, the father has to back up the mother’s decision by helping her manage her job as well as the family.

Moms away!

Historically, men are defined by their success at work while women are defined by their success at home. While we can debate on the extent this is true today, these ideas still tinge our society. Though dual-earner couples are a norm these days, the additional wages not only take a toll on the mother-child relationship but family bonding as well. In such a situation, with a little help from the fathers, working moms can excel at creating a balance between their family life and work.

The balancing act

When the mother is away, the father should try to fill in the gap that the absence of the mother creates in the kids’ life. Dads should spend quality time with the kids so that the mother’s odd working hours do not have a toll on their development.

The best thing a husband can do for his wife who is working odd hours to give the family a better lifestyle is to set an example for the kids by helping his better half with household chores and other responsibilities. This way kids are going to learn the different ways they can help their parents as well as others. The spirit of sharing one another’s burden makes it easier for the child to step into someone else’s shoes.

Moms working night shift with kids

A research shows that toddlers and small kids whose moms work odd hours lag behind in terms of language and cognitive development. The absence of mother’s attention cannot be filled but the father can help make it less severe by getting involved in the activities of the child as involved, responsible and committed fathers can help small kids in their early development.

Both parents have to work together to create a balance between their work and family, so they can give their kids a healthy environment to grow in.

How older kids can help their younger siblings

If there are smaller kids in the family along with teens, the latter can also take responsibility and help their working parents. By helping their younger siblings with homework or extra-curricular activities, older kids can take the responsibility and share their parents’ burden.