You Are Not Failing

Do you feel that if you can’t make work and family work that you are not trying hard enough or somehow you are not good enough?

You are not failing.

I believe you’ve been set up to fail.

The question I get asked the most by working parents is how can we do it all and do it well?

Firstly, let’s define ALL – happy well rounded kids, loving connected relationship with hot dates (sometimes!), successful career, creating an impact, healthy body, 8 hours of sleep, good nutrition and regular exercise, building wealth, adventure, lifestyle, regular catch ups with friends, holidays, daily mindfulness practice, walks in nature, time with extended family and cousins and [insert your meaning here].

With housing priced as high as it is, it is quite likely that both parents need to work to pay for home and children and often spend long periods of time away from the home. Flexibility, most often means working from home a day or 2 a week or going in early to come home early. Flexibility doesn’t accommodate reduced hours – it usually means work after kids have gone to bed and often being available out of hours and around the clock. So if work commands most of the time and we spend the little time left with family, what is happening to our lives?

The impact we are seeing is an increase in stressed out and anxious parents and a rising number of mental health issues in our children. The latest statistics by Resilience Youth Australia, surveying 240,000 students age 8 to 18 reveals, that 40% or almost 1 in 2 children has a mental health issue in secondary school.

We’ve got to stop pretending, it’s working. And it’s working well.

Things need to change. And they CAN change.

What got us here, won’t get us there ~Anonymous

The more I get asked the question, can we do it all and do it well? The more I’m inclined to answer, what are your expectations for “ALL” ALL at the same time, probably not. ALL at different times, more likely.

What are your thoughts?