It can be hard work trying to be a dad and have a successful profession at the same time. Whilst much attention is giving to mums who are trying to juggle a career and a family, there is very little recognition of the fact that men are trying to do the exact same thing. Men are simply expected to fit into the corporate world, and there are far fewer allowances given to them with regards to their children, as the mother is generally expected to be the main carer.
This can lead to men often feeling like they have to make some extremely tough choices between their work and their family, and this constant feeling of being pulled in opposite directions can be very bad for their wellness, in terms of stress, as well as their general sense of wellbeing and happiness.
Men who are responsible for childcare can find things even tougher than most, as often a corporate setting will require you to stay late for meetings, client contacts and so on, and this can face extreme challenges if you have a child whose daycare facility closes at the end of the day.
Fathers can feel stressed and unhappy if they feel that they are not being the kind of father that they would want to be. Due to modern role changes, fathers are now much more concerned than ever before with wanting to be loving and nurturing. In addition to this, there is still a strong expectation on them of being the family breadwinner. This can lead to them feeling like they have two full-time jobs, and that they are not achieving 100% in either role.
In order to find their ideal work/life balance, dads need to start by evaluating the needs of the family. They should make a list of what they want to achieve as a dad, or what they need to do, in the same way that they would do for a more formal job. They can then work out how to schedule in time for each job. They must also learn to separate work and home, by leaving work at work and not bringing home extra work, or even checking work e-mails at home. Dads should also make sure that they take sufficient holidays, recognising that this break from their job enables them to be the best dad possible, and also leaves them refreshed for returning to the corporate world.