Chapter 58 ★Five Six Integrate family into your work life

I have a friend who is a very successful TV producer.She can use her expertise at work, but she always has to work long hours in the office.She is married to a freelance artist, and her husband works at home with two young children. One of the ways they decided they wanted to simplify their lives was to include the kids in their work.The children like their father's work very much. They can freely go in and out of their father's studio, and they can also go to the art gallery where their father's works are displayed and sold.Every week, at least two afternoons, Dad would take the kids to Mom's office for lunch.Then, spend another hour or two watching mom work.They can be said to be the mother's work partners, and the mother often encourages colleagues to bring their children to the office.

Bringing the two young children to her office was a drain on her and her husband's time, but they both decided it was worth it.Children can thus know what their parents are doing when they are not around, and they can have a sense of intimacy in the working dialogue between parents.Before she brought the children to the office, every time she wanted to go out, the children would cry unreasonably and would not let her leave.Now the children know where Mom is going and what she is going to do, so when she leaves for work, the children will obediently let her go. In addition, bringing children to the office has at least another advantage, that is, children can reduce your work pressure and ease the disharmony in the work environment.Many of her supervisors feel that giving a child a smile, shaking him on his lap, or taking a moment to explain something to a curious, wide-eyed child is a special treatment for the stress of work.Having children in the office can bring co-workers closer together, and it also gives co-workers a chance to understand that other family members have such special needs, too.

It is undeniable that there are many workplaces that are not suitable for children.However, there are still many ways you can think of to bring children into your working life.Maybe you can take your child to the office on weekends when you are less busy with business.Let the kids get to know your co-workers and, perhaps, their kids.You can let the kids know what you're doing, and you can show a sample of your work, or a finished product.Reuniting the whole family must be a good way to resolve the complicated life in today's world.If you want to simplify your life and integrate the kids into your work life, it's a great place to start.