ML Interest Tag: workplace

This Study Shows the Stress Working Parents Face Could Actually Cost Them Their Jobs

by Jennifer Swartvagher

Working parents have a lot on their minds between balancing work and family life. They often face the difficult choice between wanting to take on more at work and the disappointment at home when their job takes priority over family events. According to a new study by Bright Horizons, since they are fearful of career-impacting repercussions, they believe they still can’t be transparent about family responsibilities.

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The report reveals that over half of working parents admit that they have needed to sneak out of work to take care of family commitments because they couldn’t be honest with their colleagues.

“We think as a society we are progressing in the workplace, but the data from the Modern Family Index tells a different story. It is clear that more progress is needed. Employers need to support working parents and create work environments in which all employees feel comfortable being honest and transparent about their family obligations,” says Bright Horizons Chief Human Resources Officer, Maribeth Bearfield. “There are some easy strategies employers can adopt to help alleviate stress, mental load, and burnout and improve workplace culture. Especially in a tight talent market, employers need to be doing as much as they can to attract and retain working parents.”

The study shows that employee burnout is at an all-time high. Employers may pay the price without a supportive work atmosphere that enables everyone to be successful in the workforce. According to the survey, employees will walk out the door if things don’t improve or they will risk facing burnout. 

Bearfield said, “The collective impact of being stretched thin at work while facing continued disappointment at home is forcing parents to leave their jobs in search of workplaces that are more in tune with modern priorities. It is time for all employers to focus attention on the needs of their workforce or risk being left behind in the war for talent.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher  

Featured photo: Photo by Ant Rozetsky on Unsplash

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Mamava Brings Lactation Pods to the Workplace & Now You Can Pump in Peace

by Erica Loop

Mamava lactation pods are moving into the workplace! The mom-centric brand recently announced the addition of its compact lactation pod, the Mamava Solo—a private, easy-to-set-up space for women who need to pump at work.

The pods, which are already in airports and other select spaces, have made nursing and pumping easier for moms on-the-go. Instead of cramming your gear into a bathroom stall or taking over the break room just to pump, Mamava wants to give you another (and a better) option.

Sascha Mayer, CEO and co-founder of Mamava, said a in a press release, “Employers looking to retain employees should be thinking about best-in-class lactation options and support, not just something that brings them into compliance.” With that in mind, Mamava’s newest product provides women with a clean, private place to pump that’s free from distractions.

Each compact unit ships within two to four weeks and installs within hours. The pod’s features include a deadbolt-locking door, one bench, two shelves, a mirror, a hook, internal outlets and a USB plug.

Along with the pod itself, women using it will also have access to Mamamva’s Smart Platform. Using the company’s app, each mom can locate the pod, check to see if it’s vacant, adjust lighting and airflow and connect with support and resources.

—Erica Loop

Photos: Courtesy of Mamava

 

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5 Ways to Help Your Child to Play (and Live) Better

By Caroline Maguire

At some point, every parent watches their child struggle to engage in successful play, get along with other children, make friends, and keep them. Whether it’s a phase where a child struggles or has a recurring problem, watching this struggle is painful for all parents. Helping your child to develop the social skills to play better is a key component in helping them to have positive relationships throughout their life. Children are learning not just to play better; they are learning to live better later on as they take those skills into every workplace and every interaction in the future. Some children need more direct instruction and help than others to learn how to play with different children and to improve their social skills.

Here Are Five Ways to Help Your Elementary School Age Child Play Better:

1. Teach your child the skills she needs. Ask yourself what your child tends to struggle with during play such as joining in, sharing, managing emotions, becoming overly excited with a friend, being too bossy, or being too grumpy. Then work on that skill and make it clear to your child that she has one mission for the play date or outing—practice that skill. For example, work on how your child can approach other children, what to say and what to do, role play and practice approaching kids with family members and then help her join in with friends or people she knows.

2. Seek playmates who are compatible. Pick a playmate whose temperament will allow your child a chance to play better and to practice the social behaviors you are working on. Compatibility does not necessarily mean putting two like-minded children together. For example, two overly bossy, rule-oriented children might argue and a domineering child might overshadow a shy child.

3. Pick an environment and activity that fosters positive play. Picking the right location and environment that supports your child’s mission is key to helping them put their best foot forward. Try to host the playdate so you can help shape the environment and remove toys or activities that have caused problems in the past. What is an activity my child enjoys? Will it be a structured or unstructured environment? In what environment does my child do well? Where do I have the most success with them? At home? A park or playground? A crowded bounce park where your child may be overstimulated may not be the best place to have a play date.

4. Help your child become a social observer. Build your child’s noticing and observation skills by having them be a social spy. Your child will rehearse with you ahead of time, then spy covertly on others to obtain key social information. Most children who struggle with social skills don’t stop to notice the important cues such as what they talk about at lunch, how loud other kids are on a train or in a museum, what their teacher does with their body language and tone of voice when they are frustrated.  

5. Debrief after your child’s playdate. Children learn by reflecting on what they are doing and how it impacts others.  Engage with your child, talk about the playdate in a nonjudgmental way. After the playdate is over, spend some time chatting with your child about what they did well and celebrate their effort saying, I heard you telling Leslie what to do and what game to play. Ask your child to consider the feelings of her playmate, asking her what do you think Leslie felt when you told her what to choose? What choices did Leslie get to make? What choices did you get to make? Let’s look at whether or not that was fair together. Then also ask your child what they struggled with and make a plan and practice for the future.

The more you pay attention to something the more it grows. Some children struggle with aspects of play and need more direct instruction and guidance to learn these skills. The more your child practices and gains confidence, the more she can feel comfortable in her own skin.

A personal coach, author, teacher, and speaker whose work has inspired conversations about social skills at schools and in homes all across the county, Caroline Maguire believes all children can shine. Her work is critical to parents who support children with executive function challenges struggling to show their best selves.

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Dear Working Mom: I Don’t Know How You Do It

By Catherine Dietrich

Dear Working Mom,

I don’t know how you do it.

We’ve all been tickled by the hilarious BBC interview that went so very wrong when two toddlers came running into the room while their dad was on Skype being interviewed about democracy in South Korea. It was my favourite YouTube moment of the year so far – until a friend reposted this on Facebook, a spoof of what it would have been like if it had happened to a woman. A working mom. And the reason I laughed so hard is that it so absolutely could have been true.

But actually, it’s kind of not funny.

Because working mom, I don’t know how you do it.

I don’t know how you get up in the mornings and get not only your small people looking presentable, but yourself as well. Hair, make-up, clothes-that-do-not-fall-into-the-Active-Wear-category, grown-up shoes… but you do.

I don’t know how you make breakfasts and packed lunches, and get small people to sit down and eat said breakfasts, while simultaneously preparing yourself mentally for whatever tasks are waiting for you when you get to your desk… but you do.

I don’t know how you manage to do the school run, administering that all-important “one last kiss”, and then haul yourself across town (or sometimes even further) to wherever work is, and arrive on time… but you do.

I don’t know how you field meetings and paediatrician appointments (both of which could be moved at any given time), sick kids and conference calls, and the eye-rolls of those who don’t know better when you absolutely have to leave at 5pm (I hear the voices only half joking: “Oh, half day today?”)… but you do.

I don’t know how you keep straight in your head the permission slips that need to be returned and the birthday gifts that need to be purchased and wrapped while simultaneously putting together a PowerPoint presentation on That Important Thing for a conference room full of people… but you do.

I don’t know how you finish your day job and then rush home to start your other, harder, more demanding job. You cook dinner, you get them to tell you about their day, smiling while you try not to feel sad about the moments you missed. You coo over their artwork, oversee homework, referee skirmishes, kiss better booboos, do bath time, read bedtime stories, and then when the lights are finally out, there is the matter of running your household to attend to. Making sure uniforms and sports kit are clean and in the right place, opening the post, checking the diary, finding time with your spouse…

I don’t know how you do it, but you do.

Working moms, you are the true unsung heroes, the true feminists, the true foot soldiers. Most of what you do goes unacknowledged, because you make it look easy. You never let your kids think for one moment that there’s anything more important to you than they are, and, by some houdini-esque, magical slight of hand, you simultaneously keep climbing the corporate ladder, ensuring there are places open for the rest of us, ensuring we don’t get left too far behind.

I’ve heard it said that there can be tendency towards judgement between different “camps” of women – the stay-at-home moms judging those who choose to value their careers too much to abandon them; the moms who go back to work judging the more “Stepford-orientated” among us for staying home… I have to say that I’ve never experienced any judgement of this kind. It’s been my experience that, whatever we do after we have children, it’s always accompanied by an element of regret and guilt. Those of us who stay home feel guilty for letting our careers stall, our educations go to “waste”, our skills get rusty. Those who return to work feel torn.

Judgement has no place here.

I’ve also heard it said that it takes a village, and that working moms have a team to help them. But in the middle of the night, you’re still mommy. When your kids are sick, you’re still mommy. You have to know who is where, when, and you’re the one who makes sure things don’t fall apart. You deserve every bit of credit for doing an impossible job, no matter how much help you have.

I can’t speak for women the world over, but from my little corner of reality I just want to say this: thank you, working mom. Thank you for doing the hardest job in the world and making it look easy. Thank you for taking judgement from those who don’t know better and brushing it off because, really, you’re far too busy for all that. Thank you for walking out of that meeting early and ignoring the sighs from the people who didn’t need to so that you could get back to your kids. Every day you are making strides towards normalising work-life balance for parents – even if it is sometimes at the cost of your own pride. Thank you for showing us that who you were before, although never the same again after children, is important to preserve.

Thank you for holding our metaphorical seats open for us in the workplace, so that when those of us who stayed away longer do go back you’re there, just ahead of us, making sure the path is clear and we don’t trip over.

I don’t know how you do it but, just, thank you. You’re my hero.

Love, Catherine

Catherine Dietrich
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Catherine Dietrich is a freelance writer and mom to two girls. A former women's magazine journalist, she now writes for various online publications as well as celebrating motherhood on her blog, Littles, Love and Sunshine. Catherine is a British South African, currently living in the Bahamas with her husband and two small daughters.

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Say Hello to Transformational Parenting

By Sarah Daren

Photo: Daniela Dimitrova via Pixabay

Every parent wants the best for their child. Because you want them to succeed and probably never want them to feel sad, frustrated, embarrassed, or anxious, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of trying to control every experience your child has. Not only is this impossible, however, but it’s also not going to set your child up for success in life.

An overbearing parenting st‌yle doesn’t usually yield the best results. So what can you do instead to raise confident, resilient kids? Take your cues from modern leadership theory and learn how to be a transformational parent.

The Power of Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is one of the most successful leadership styles in the modern workplace because it focuses on motivating and encouraging employees instead of relying on micromanagement or authoritarian tactics. This leadership style is respectful, encourages creativity and innovation, and empowers people in the workplace to grow and thrive. Successful transformational leaders are good role models and provide inspiration, support, and guidance, but ultimately trust their employees to make good decisions and to do things their own way.

Leadership skills that you can develop from an MBA aren’t just useful for your career, but also in navigating your family and personal relationships. Transformational parenting helps kids learn strong values and become their own people. Children thrive under the power of transformational leadership and learn to become more self-sufficient, confident, and feel motivated to push themselves to greater heights.

How Kids and Teens Respond to Transformational Parenting

Today, parents must protect their children from a host of threats. Vaping, the latest danger threatening adolescents, is especially troublesome. Statistics show that 18% of eighth-graders have tried e-cigarettes, which is enough to make any parent want to watch their child 24/7. Unfortunately, you can’t protect your kids from these kinds of dangers by trying to force them to do your bidding.

Instead of using an authoritarian approach and telling your kids they’re forbidden from doing something, it’s better to use a transformational approach and encourage individual decision-making while establishing rational boundaries. This involves not only modeling the correct behavior but also explaining why limits are placed and listening carefully and responding thoughtfully to your child’s feelings and opinions on the subject.

Kids whose parents approach tough subjects like vaping with communication and respect for their views and ability to make decisions often respond by making healthy decisions, rather than rebelling against authority.

Mutually Realized Growth Through Transformational Parenting

One of the most interesting and powerful aspects of transformational parenting is that it helps both children and their parents grow, evolve, and heal. Because the transformational approach requires you to assess your own feelings and reactions when making parenting decisions, you’re likely to learn a lot about yourself and feel motivated to take responsibility for your behavior. After all, one of the essentials of transformational parenting is being a good role model.

We all have wounds from earlier in our lives, which are often acquired during childhood. It’s all too easy to pass those wounds on to our own children if we don’t consciously acknowledge them and actively rewrite the narrative for the next generation. Through transformational parenting, you will grow and heal while helping to prevent secondhand trauma in your children’s lives.

Tempering Your Expectations

At its core, transformational parenting is all about letting go of your own expectations and trusting your child to build an identity that makes them happy, fulfilled, and productive. You will guide them along the way, but good transformational parenting involves knowing when to step back.

Your child is an individual. While they may look just like you, in reality, they’re their own person with their own needs and desires. Your ambitions and visions for their life have no place in transformational parenting. If they want to become a doctor, they will. But if they want to make art and live in a commune, that’s okay too.

A lot of parenting is tempering your expectations. Your kids will do best when you encourage and support them without forcing them down a particular path. The best part? By practicing transformation parenting, you’ll probably find yourself feeling happier and more relaxed because you won’t be on edge (as much) about test scores, future athletic prospects, or college applications.

Instead, you’ll get to enjoy the ride—and see what an incredible person your child becomes.

Sarah Daren has been a consultant for startups in industries including health and wellness, wearable technology, and education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life, including her position as a yoga instructor and raising her children. Sarah enjoys watching baseball and reading on the beach. 

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This Business Magazine Is the First to Feature a Pregnant CEO on the Cover

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Juggling a career and motherhood is never easy, but that doesn’t mean being a mom should be hidden from view in the workplace. The Wing CEO Audrey Gelman proudly bares her baby bump on the cover of Inc. magazine and it’s about time.

The October issue of Inc. magazine features a cover story about female founders with a prominent image of Gelman in a snug-fitting black dress against a bright yellow background. There’s absolutely no denying that beautiful baby bump and it’s a groundbreaking day for working women everywhere.

“My hope is that women see this and again feel the confidence to take greater professional risks while also not shelving their dreams of becoming a mother and starting a family,” Gelman told TODAY.

Gelman is the co-founder and CEO of The Wing, a women’s co-working space with locations across the country including New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago. She explained to TODAY that images like this are critical to eliminating the bias that women can’t successfully balance a career and motherhood.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Inc. via Instagram

 

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Dear Employer, I Forgot to Mention That I Am Pregnant

By Betty Boiron

Photo: iStockphoto

It was my first day at my new job.

I was so nervous that I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I had taken a hiatus from working when we moved across the country, and I had gotten comfortable with the stay-at-home mom life. But with my son at school full-time, it was time for me to return to the workforce and help out with the family finances.

Oh wait, did I mention I was pregnant? And that my boss had no clue?

Argh. The guilt. During the interview, I had an internal battle of epic proportions in my head on whether or not to reveal my pregnancy. I was about three months pregnant at the time so I looked like I might have eaten a little too much for lunch, but my pregnant belly wasn’t immediately obvious. So it’s up to me to tell the interviewers about my pregnancy.

The law says they are not supposed to ask, and I am not obligated to tell. But I felt so dishonest like I was lying by omission. I wanted this job badly because it offered flexible hours so I could pick up my son from school. Plus, I was running out of time—I was about to start on a job when I was in my third trimester and could barely apply what I learned in my training before going on maternity leave. In the end, my fear that my pregnancy would deter the company from hiring me trumped my guilt, and I kept my mouth shut.

But maybe I shouldn’t have.

Oh wait, did I mention that this was a vape company?

As I stepped into the building on my first day of work, I was met by a cloud of smoke. There was so much smoke in the air that I had trouble seeing through it. Then I realized what was happening. O.M.G. They allow vaping inside the building! And EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE vaped. All except me.

I immediately ran out of the building like a bat out of hell, drawing curious and surprised looks from everyone I passed on the way out. I called my manager from outside the building, and the following conversation ensued:

Me: “Good morning! Do you mind meeting me outside the front door?”

Manager: “Why? Are the doors locked?”

Me: “No, no, I just need to talk to you about something.”

Manager: “Oh, just come to my office! Do you know where it is?”

Me: “I can’t go inside the building. Can you come out?”

Manager: “What? Why? Are you okay?”

Me: “I am pregnant.”

Manager: “OH…CRAP. I mean, wow. Stay outside. I will call you right back.”

I waited in my car anxiously for my manager’s call. I saw him run across the first floor from his office to the CEO’s office, face full of panic. Aw man, am I fired for not telling them I am pregnant? They can’t do that, can they? But how can I work in a building full of vape cloud that contains nicotine and risk harm to my baby?

After what seemed like forever (but in reality probably 30 minutes or so), my manager came out of the building with the CEO of the company. They politely asked me to go home and work from there, and not to return to the office until further notice.

For the next several days, I “worked” from home. Well, not really. I mean, I didn’t even step foot into my office yet, what work did I possibly have to do? I tried to learn as much as I could at home, but in the back of my head, I was mentally preparing to lose a job that I never really had.

My decision to not tell my hiring manager about my pregnancy during the interview kept replaying in my head. I was more than qualified for the job, and I blew the interview out of the water. Despite it being a vape company, I did not see any indication of employees vaping indoors during my interview. And as much as people are not supposed to discriminate against pregnant women, I felt like the fact that I will be taking care of a newborn within months of starting my job would have played into the hiring decision. How could it not?

At the end of the day, every day, I would get a call from my manager asking me to stay at home one more day. The top management was still discussing my case and hadn’t made a final decision yet. Lots of meetings were being held, and they had to call in the employment lawyer. Apparently, I was the first pregnant woman they ever had to deal with in the workplace so finding out I was pregnant was mind-blowing. I felt so bad that my pregnancy was turning the company upside down, but, hey, I did not expect to walk into a building full of vape cloud either.

Finally, after five days of deliberation, the management made a decision. I was told to come back to work the following Monday, but with no explanations. “Don’t worry, you will be fine,” was all I got from my manager.

So on Monday, I packed my lunch and drove to work. I carefully walked into the office, afraid to expose my baby to any more nicotine. But the air was clear. No vape cloud. What happened?

My manager pulled me into his office and told me to shut the door. He said to me in a hushed tone: “Management decided to ban vaping inside the building. We didn’t tell the employees why, so you don’t have to worry about people blaming you. We just told them that it was an executive decision that came down from the CEO to make the workplace more professional for our customers. And do not feel guilty about this, we have been tossing the idea of banning vaping inside the office for a while now. We value your work experience and your talent and if it takes banning vaping for you to come work for us, then so be it.”

Huh. Perhaps there is hope for humanity after all.

Betty Boiron is a mother of two who strives to inspire other moms to embrace motherhood as the hot mess it is. When she is not busy chasing after her kids or digging herself out of piles of laundry, you can find her writing on her blog Mombrite.

 

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10 Practical Skills All Children Need

By Riya Sand

We are living in a changing world, and we need to play catch up if we want to survive. Many processes are becoming automated due to the advancement in technology. With artificial intelligence here, some of the jobs will be extinct soon. There is a rising concern that the skills we teach children will not help them find a job tomorrow. That doesn’t mean jobs will be scarce. Employment opportunities will be available, but competition is going to be fierce. So what are the skills children need to thrive in the fast-changing world? Below are ten practical skills for children which will come in handy in their future workforce.

1. Problem-Solving: When I was a kid, my brothers decided I should learn how to swim. So they tossed me into the water, I was scared for only a second, but I figured it out. Our world is often faced by complex problems that require fast action to solve the problem. But, are our children ready for complexities in the workforce and how to deal with them? You can’t teach someone how to solve a problem. But if you put them in stressful situations, they will find a way out of it. Therefore, you need to change the learning environment once in a while and give them challenging conditions.

2. Creativity: We are all born creative, but somewhere along the way, we lose our creativity. I don’t know if it is the education system that makes us forget, or it is a failure to nature creativity. Innovation is one of the essential skills needed to be successful in the workplace. Therefore, children need to be creative and use their imagination to solve problems or complete tasks. How do you ensure they are in a constant state of stimulation? Children love expressing themselves in unique ways. Therefore, if you nurture innovation, you inspire them to believe in themselves. Creative minds can survive in a competitive work environment because they are great problem solvers and highly adaptable.

3. Analytical Thinking: Analytical thinking is the ability to assess a situation and seek a more in-depth understanding. Critical thinking is vital in both schoolwork and real life. It helps grasp the relevance of what they are learning in school and its real-life application. They can make rational decisions at work and in their relationships after analyzing the situation. Thinking critically is also the foundation of problem solving and innovation. So how do you nurture analytical thinking? Learn to have open dialogues with your kids, where you ask questions that prompt them to think critically. Why’s and how’re questions often lead to discussion.

4. Curiosity: Are you wondering how curiosity is a relevant skill for the future workforce? The future economy is full of uncertainties, and only those with a willingness to explore will survive. Curiosity breeds risk-taking, exploration, and innovation. I know we often tell our kids to be practical. But, the future workforce will be challenging for rational minds. Therefore, one of the things to teach your kids should be the courage to ask questions. Allow them to feel the excitement of discovery and have a positive attitude towards failure. Give your kid some level of control, and their capabilities will dazzle you.

5. How to Communicate: Communication sounds like an obvious skill. But, it goes way beyond language and grammar. You can determine what a person is thinking about from the way they express themselves. Clear communication is vital in persuading, inspiring, and prompting people to take action. Can your child express their ideas concisely? In the digital world, we should learn how to communicate in social media. Most of the jobs in the future will be done remotely. Therefore, clear communication will be vital for accomplishing tasks and networking with people from around the globe.

6. Adaptability: As earlier mentioned, the world is evolving at lightning speed, and only the most adaptable to change will survive. Technology advancements require people with the ability to grasp a concept and find ways to improve it quickly. Cognitive flexibility also helps in dealing with situations that may arise in the workplace. Encouraging flexible thinking at a young age is an excellent way to instill a positive outlook in every case. Imagine a situation where your child trains to be an accountant, and when they graduate, there are no jobs. What do they do? Whichever course of action they choose to take depends on their adaptability.

7. Initiative: Inspire your kids to have an entrepreneurial mindset. Empower them to take the initiative and provide solutions to global problems. Today, youth employment programs are encouraging young people to come up with business ideas. Likewise, we can support our kids to be entrepreneurial through extracurricular activities. Our education system isn’t conducive for innovators, and often we shut them down. This should change if we want them to survive in future work environments.

8. Teamwork and Collaboration: The contingent workforce is on the rise, and in a few years, remote workers will make up the majority of the workforce. It is exciting how technology is getting rid of geographical boundaries. Digital networks enable people from anywhere to combine their efforts to achieve a specific goal. Therefore, we should prepare our kids for intercultural interactions.

9. Digital Skills: Almost every aspect of our lives is connected to technology. Therefore, children need the necessary skills to navigate technology. Digital literacy from a young age is a great foundation for the future work environment. Most schools are using laptops and tablets in teaching to increase familiarity in technology.

10. Emotional Intelligence: There is a misconception that successful people focus on business only and are heartless. The work environment can be challenging if employees are emotionless and cold. For a company to do well, the workforce needs to foster interpersonal relationships. Therefore, emotional intelligence is an essential skill that children need. It teaches them how to manage emotions in a work environment.

 

If we want our children to lead better lives, we should encourage them to ask questions and be innovative. Nurturing leadership from a young age is a great step towards a promising future.

 

Riya is an inspired writer who is passionate about traveling, lifest‌yle and encouraging startups. She's always finding new ways to improve her work productivity.

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10 Bittersweet Signs Your Kids Are All Grown Up

By Victoria Ward

Days as a parent bounce between counting the days until your child is moved out to clinging to every precious moment you can. We all dread the thought of our kids no longer needing us. But when does that day finally arrive? Here are 10 bittersweet signs your little one may not need you as much as they used to.

1. They Apologize Sincerely

There are many benefits to apologizing. A sign of maturity is losing the need to always be right. Being comfortable with admitting that they were wrong means they have the wisdom to know that no one can always be right.

2. They Take Care of Their Own Appointments

Possibly the simplest of cues letting you know your child has matured is that they make and follow through with appointments on their own. This simple gesture shows they can think ahead, make preparations for themselves and stick to a plan.

3. They’re Developing Themselves

Educating your children is one of the most important duties that a parent has. Your child acquiring the ability to teach themselves new skills and knowledge without feeling encumbered with stress is a positive step to self-sufficiency.

4. They Can Take the Blame

Every parent has seen their child quickly try to shove off the blame somewhere else to save their own neck. Growing out of this habit and acquiring the ability to take responsibility head-on is a firm step into adulthood.

5. They Can Stick to a Budget

The ability to make and stick to a budget is an essential skill every adult must learn in order to care for themselves. Your child displaying these skills means they’re moving in the right direction towards financial stability.

6. They Show Some Grit

The world can be a tough place. Being an adult means you no longer sit around and wait for things to be handed to you. Showing the resolve, courage, and strength of character to get what they want themselves is a strong sign they can make it on their own.

7. They Can Cook

In a world of Doordash and Uber Eats it’s all too easy for young adults to pass on this skill, but ordering the easy way out isn’t always going to be an option. Knowing basic cooking skills is another hint that your child is ready to be a full-fledged adult.

8. They Ask for Help

Although this one may seem counterintuitive – adulthood isn’t always about being independent. Realizing others may know more than you and not being afraid to utilize their skills is a trait that can help your child succeed when they feel lost.

9. They Empathize

Empathy is a fundamental part of human interaction that can help your child succeed socially and in the workplace. Shedding their self-centered ways is a powerful hint that they’re growing into an emotionally mature person.

10. They Help You More Than You Help Them

Parents are often familiar with the random phone calls asking for help from how to start the washing machine to how many minutes they should let the pasta boil. There may come a time where this dynamic shifts and you find yourself making the calls for help with your new iPad or yard work you just don’t have the energy for. This change is the biggest sign that they’ve grown into a caring an independent person.

Whether dreaded or welcomed, there comes a time when your child will no longer need you in the same way they used to. One important thing to remember in this journey is that these signs of development in your child’s life don’t indicate your redundancy but instead represent your success as a parent.

My name's Vicky and I have a beautiful four-year-old son named Paul who just started preschool. When I'm not being a mother, I practice tennis and play with my corgi, Milo.

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The World Health Organization Now Officially Recognizes Work-Related Burn-Out as Real

by Erica Loop

Is your job stressing you out? You aren’t alone. The World Health Organization now includes “burn-out” as a mental health issue associated with employment in the ICD-11 diagnostic tool.

The frazzled feeling that hits you at the end of a 40 hour (more like 40 plus, plus, plus) week is real. According to the WHO’s ICD-11 definition, “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

photo: Energepic.com via Pexels

So how does WHO characterize work-related burn-out? The ICD-11 definition includes, “Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion,” along with, “increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job” and, “reduced professional efficacy.”

Even though the global ICD-11 guidelines now count workplace burn-out as an actual mental health issue (at least when the guidelines take effect in 2022), the U.S.’s DSM-5 diagnostic manual does not include the all-too-common problem. But don’t let that make you feel like the serious case of exhaustion you have is just a case of the post-work Friday evening tireds. Judging by WHO’s newest definition, job-related stress is the real deal for many adults worldwide.

—Erica Loop

 

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