Metrolife: Back to the grind for parents in city

The summer vacations have drawn to a close and the new academic year has begun. While some parents are thrilled that their wards are returning to the routine, others are slowly getting back to the grind.

Working parents say that they have a hard time balancing work and home. “Going back to routine is better for everyone. Everything is haphazard if there is no routine. If the kids have school, we wake up early and things get done fast. But during holidays, everything slows down. The only adjustment that I need to make is with regards to sleep” says Najma, a working mother with reference to nine-year-old daughter. Sheetal Katariya, a housewife shares a different view. “During holidays, my husband and I would relax in the morning but now we have to wake up early, pack lunch boxes and return to helping with homework. We are back to are the usual schedule which can get hectic at times,” says Sheetal Katariya, whose daughter is studying in class five.

There are a few parents like Sangeetha and Suraj Pagariya, who have to manage the schedule of three children. Their children are of different age groups and study in different classes. “Parents have too much on their plate when school starts. The most troublesome thing is to wake up early after two months of relaxed routine. We have to now get the lunch boxes ready and drop our children in three different places and make sure we reach in time.”

There are a few parents like Bindu, a digital trainer, who sometimes takes off from work to take a vacation with her son and she makes a conscious effort to spend time with her family. “It’s difficult to cope with work and home. I need to give my family time. Some days, when it comes to work, I end up working late. So, I think going back to school is a good thing because everybody gets into a routine. I sometimes keep worrying what he is doing when I am at work. With schools reopening that tension is over.”

Parents like Pinky Jain, an accountant, who follows a definite schedule, doesn’t have to worry too much because she has everything planned out for her children. She prepares a timetable and follows it too. She feels this makes her routine easier. “It’s very difficult to manage but making a timetable does wonders. The timetable is planned in such a way that I make time for my family, friends and also for myself. These two months were relaxing and getting back is tough. But we don’t have too many options. It takes a lot of planning to balance home and work.”