Life is always a balancing act for working parents, but the pandemic has made things especially hard as we try to juggle care-giving, homeschooling and work.
Since the arrival of COVID-19, we’ve had to pivot to new ways of living, learning and earning, often without our usual support networks.
Borders have been closed, lockdowns have been long, and whether we’ve been working remotely or on the frontline, the pandemic has taken its toll.
Circle In says eight in 10 care-givers admit that caring for family has resulted in financial, social, mental or physical setbacks, and this is why it’s so important that we look out for one another and join the #askaparentiftheyareok campaign.
What does this campaign involve?
Circle In’s #askaparentiftheyareok campaign is running from now until Friday, 17 September and it’s all about raising awareness of the fact that many working parents are not OK.
This campaign supports and aligns with R U OK? Day (which is on tomorrow, 9 September) and National Working Parents Day (which is happening on Thursday, 16 September), and it uses the power of social media to raise awareness about what care-givers are going through, and drive positive change, so they’re better supported going forward.
To send an important message across your personal and/or professional social media networks, all you need to do is post a campaign graphic and caption with the following tag:
- @circlein.co – for Instagram
- Circle In – for LinkedIn
- @circlein_co – for Twitter
Most importantly, whether you’re a manager, colleague, friend or family member, you’re encouraged to #askaparentiftheyareok, because they may not be, but you won’t know – and you can’t help – if you don’t ask.
Asking the question might mean that you call up a mum you know from the breakroom, a sister with three kids under five, a dad who’s parenting through the pandemic on his own, or any working parent who might be doing it tough.
If you’re not sure how to approach the conversation, R U OK? suggests that you:
- Ask the question (“Are you ok?”)
- Listen with an open mind
- Encourage action, and
- Check in with them in a couple of weeks (or sooner if they’re really struggling).>
There’s more detail here about the conversation you can have, and the main thing is that we all recognise the challenges of working and parenting.
Although the pandemic has made things especially taxing, it’s always been hard for busy parents to keep all the balls in the air, and while it’s important to be a source of strength for our families, and productivity for our employers, it’s equally important that we care for ourselves and are supported during family time and the working week.
There’s a real need for employers to offer flexibility to working parents, and it’s great to see bosses getting behind the #askaparentiftheyareok campaign. We hope you can, too!
