They say being a parent is a full-time job but for many parents who are also working full-time, there are skills in the workplace that will also assure them success in building a happy home.
For starters, you’re a master at solving problems
Juggling potty training with coordinating doctor’s appointments? Or you’re supposed to be picking up the kids at the exact same time that you’re supposed to deliver a career-defining presentation?
No problem is insurmountable with the vast resourcefulness that being a working parent has cultivated in you.
Helping kids solve problems is also a valuable skill.
Team management and motivation are a cinch
Being able to lead while keeping others inspired is a great ability to have in both the workplace and the home.
Nurturing colleagues and subordinates bears similarities with taking care of your spouse and children. You have to believe in them and root for them. But you also have to make sure they remain disciplined.
READ: 6 inspiring Work-at-Home Moms share what it takes to succeed at home and at work
Focusing on the bigger picture
As a parent, you learn not to sweat the small stuff.
Things may not go smoothly 24/7 but this isn’t a reason to lose your head. Looking at every setback in the context of the bigger picture puts things in perspective and makes you an efficient worker and parent.
Truly listening
This is most important for parents of tweens and teens because it is a challenge all its own to get them to open up in the first place.
Active listening goes a long way, as well as prompting with open-ended questions.
Knowing how to defuse temper tantrums in adults and toddlers means letting them vent first and then guiding them by offering different points of view.
Living in the moment
Being truly present when doing a task on hand makes you a good role model both at work and in the home.
Fostering this habit not only increases productivity, it also helps establish stronger connections with your family because there’s always a sense of appreciation of the present, without letting it be colored by the resentments of the past or worries of the future.
READ: 12 confessions of a working mom: How many do you relate to?
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