My morning was going relatively well-- everyone had eaten some form of breakfast, the pets were fed, and my son didn't miss his bus. As I was walking out the door to leave for work the phone rang. It was my son Michael calling to tell me he had taken the wrong soccer uniform to school (for those who don't know, high school teams wear different color uniforms depending on whether they are playing a home or away game) and he needed me to bring his other uniform to school. I was now faced with the challenge of how to get my son his uniform while also getting myself to work on time. This is a typical example of the challenges working mothers--working parents- deal with regularly. The carefully planned morning routine can be thrown off schedule unexpectedly--a sick child, forgotten homework, lost permission slips, a missed school bus. When my children were younger it was things like sick babysitters, spilled milk or a diaper that needed to be changed as I was ready to walk out the door. Although being a working parent has become somewhat easier for me now that my children are older, it still presents challenges. Trying to balance the responsibilities of caring for the needs of children and family with the demands of work requires juggling and flexibility.

I have worked at Hillside Children's Center for the past 27 years, and for 22 of those years I've been a parent. Over the past 22 years I have learned that it is both rewarding and challenging to be a working parent. Working parents must be adept at multi-tasking and demonstrate flexibility and a sense of humor. Juggling parenting and working requires a work place that is family-friendly, and supportive of the needs of parents and families. When I first became a mother over 22 years ago, my immediate supervisor was Harry Lang, former Associate Executive Director of Hillside Children's Center (Lang Cottage on HCC campus is named in honor of Harry). Harry was not married and did not have any children himself, however he was an extremely supportive supervisor--he gave me the opportunity to return to my position on a part-time basis and allowed me work flexible hours as I adjusted to my new role as a mother. I learned a lot from Harry about how to support working parents, and as I reflect back on the support and encouragement he gave me I realize he played an important part in my learning to balance the demands of working and parenting. I have been fortunate to have had many family-friendly supervisors throughout my career at Hillside, including Clyde Comstock and my current supervisor, Karen Zandi.

Over the years, as I moved into supervisory positions I've tried to extend the same kind of supports to other working parents. I've tried to reach out in particular to female staff who become mothers for the first time, as I vividly remember what a major life-changing experience that was, learning to balance multiple responsibilities. I have learned that supporting staff in their efforts to balance the demands of caring for their children with the demands of their jobs is a win-win situation--Hillside retains competent experienced staff members and working parents appreciate the support they receive in their efforts to balance home and work responsibilities. I would be interested in hearing how other working parents at Hillside have juggled these competing demands.

Summer is winding down and I hope you’ve taken time to enjoy this wonderful season. Although I love all four seasons, I must admit, summer is my favorite. Everything slows down in summer, school is out and some of that rush-rush-rush mentality eases a bit.

For those of us in the helping professions—teachers, social workers, sociotherapists, nurses—our work requires that we respond to human needs at a more intense level than the general public. Making a positive difference in the lives of others is what we try to do every day. The work we do is very rewarding, however it is also emotionally demanding. Balancing the care of others with care of self is particularly important for those in the helping professions. It is essential that we take time to relax and rejuvenate ourselves, to help us maintain our energy and enthusiasm for this important work

Vacations are a great way to rejuvenate. I had the opportunity to spend a week at the ocean this summer with my family—just getting away and doing nothing but sleeping, eating, swimming, and reading for a week was extremely restful and rejuvenating for me.
I don’t know what kind of summer you have had, but I hope you have taken some time off. Even if you can’t get away on vacation, take time to swing in a hammock, drink a glass of lemonade, look up at the stars, listen to the crickets and just enjoy these last weeks of summer. You deserve it, and your ability to do your work will be enhanced.