Family is first. I have a very close family, and enjoy dinners nearly every Sunday with my aunts, uncles, grandparents, parent’s, cousin’s and my immediate family. Family is a necessity in my life and I like to think I have a “good family life”. What constitutes a “good family life”? In my opinion many things do.
I think a good family life is happiness. Everyone can’t be happy all the time, but being happy most of the time makes for a good family. Other things that make for a good family life are understanding, balance, and compromise. Given the fact that not all people are alike one must be understanding. We think, act, and speak differently and understanding this principle makes for a better quality of family life. Compromise is another facet of family life that must be addressed. Other members of family have different points of view and at times when two people don’t see eye to eye compromise must be made. I find compromising a hard thing to do, but when looking back I realize that sometimes compromising was the right thing to do in the end. Balance is essential. I find balance the most difficult aspect of creating a good family life for me and my family. It is very difficult for to balance my work priorities with my family. Family is of course always first in my heart, but the constraints of monetary needs and priorities make for a catch 22. I need to make time for my family but working at times supersedes this idea because financially my family depends on my hard work and income to survive.
My wife and I constructively talk about good ways to make this balance work. As I mentioned in previous blogs the dynamic of her going back to work makes this issue a reality. Not only will I have to balance my work and family; my wife will have to find a common ground as well. Perfect balance amongst family and work may never be achieved. However, the pursuit of this perfect balance from me will always be a goal for me to strive for.
My current employer is by far the best employer that I have ever worked for. My work place is very family oriented and understanding when it comes to a family needs and obligations. There has never been any issue when it comes to my family and its needs. If someone is sick or an emergency arises, I have personal days available to me and if I need a day off all I have to do is ask. I have no complaints. I know this is not common place within most employment settings but I think if more employers were a bit more understanding when it come to personal issues; the world would be a lot less stressful place.
The United Kingdom shows that better work place practices make for stronger employee
morale, stronger work ethic, and less stress. This may be a sign. Compassion and understanding benefit all involved. The employer gets a more productive and understanding employee. And the employee is satisfied and happy with their respective employer. I don’t know if using the exact methods of the United Kingdom would have a positive outcome as our societies are two completely different animals. However, I do know that taken an impartial passive approach will most likely result in more of the same workplace practices.
All in all great support system both from the employer and from ones family will provide the optimum situation. Nothing is 100% fool proof but having positive enforcements both on the work and home front will help achieve balancing priorities. We have mentioned help and support from the home throughout this section, but in reading and watching videos for blog four I realize that positive work reinforcements can be equally as helpful and beneficial. Personal responsibility is a must as well. We must not sit by and passively wait for family, friends, and coworkers to balance our lives for us. We need to create our own positive destiny. We need to create change for the better. We need to take a step in the right direction and always peruse that perfect balance.
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I like how you bring up compromise as being important to a "good family life." Many times it's the women that are forced to compromise on their goals, their dreams about what they see as their role in the scheme of family life. As I continue my discussions with the women in my life, this idea of compromise comes up a lot. The sad thing, however, is that many of them say that they are the ones that must compromise, with little reciprocation from the other side.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of compromise, both from a relationship aspect and from a business perspective turns the discussion to the idea of balance. Balance of needs, wants and responsibilities. As a care giver one must balance their abilities with responsibilities, with goals/dreams. Compromise, especially when you are in a two parent home, will allow for more mobility for the woman to have a clear choice when working out a balance concerning her dreams, and how she may prioritize her responsibilities.