The foundations of family functioning can be approached from various perspectives, but what we found critical definitely includes achieving a work-life balance, managing unseen/invisible work, sharing and delegating tasks, recognizing the importance of routines, and of course, how all these elements come together to ensure that while we work hard, we also feel equally good.
While these terms are often used in everyday language and we may understand their meanings, let’s admit that many of us struggle with their effective implementation. As much as we know how important routines are for children, let’s face it, creating a well-functioning family routine and maintaining it on a daily basis is a whole different story.
The same goes for achieving a work-life balance. This phrase may sound cliché, but understanding what it means in our daily lives and how to achieve it is not something many articles offer practical, easily achievable tips on. Nonetheless, there will still be days and moments when we feel managing everyday tasks, expectations, and schedules, juggling all the plates is impossible, but perhaps with our ideas, we can reduce the frequency of these moments.
“Unseen/Invisible work” may be a less common term, and you may not immediately know what we mean. That’s the point; bringing these tasks to light. You might be surprised because there are many tasks that are invisible, and uncovering them can help in many ways, whether it’s just understanding them or, most importantly, distributing and delegating them. Sharing and delegating tasks are crucial, no matter how old the children are, as they learn responsibility and teamwork. No, just because they sometimes ‘work’, it doesn’t take away from their childhood, and tasks can also be made playful. But let’s not forget, often, it’s the time spent together that’s key, even during chores, not just carefree play.
When everything becomes part of a routine, that’s when true perfection is achieved. Everyone knows their role and responsibilities, making family life more predictable and less stressful. We discuss what it takes to achieve this, but sometimes it’s just enough to highlight that you already have a daily routine because often it develops organically, and the advantages of this and how to turn any disadvantages into advantages.
Yes, creating and maintaining these routines is hard work, but fundamentally, they ensure that we feel good in the process and, of course, free up time to have even more opportunities to connect qualitatively or even carve out a little ‘me-time’ from our daily lives.
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