The struggle is real. Parenting is, and always has been, a 24/7 job. Working parents have always struggled to integrate and blend parenting demands with job responsibilities in a way that makes it look seamless—each set of duties separate and contained. Note that I am using “integrate” and “blend” purposefully here. It’s not about balancing the two—job duties on one side and parenting on the other—with a give-and-take pull requiring us to direct and redirect our attention to avoid wobbling or falling out of equilibrium. 

But, let’s acknowledge that things are different right now as we weather this coronavirus pandemic. Because of Stay-at-Home orders, there has never been a clearer example of how working parents must blend the responsibilities of both roles. Parents of children of all ages are still integrating the demands of being a parent with those of their jobs, while now also trying to fill the roles of daycare, school, and friends. 

SIOP’s Professional Practice Book Series has returned, with a new publisher and new members of the editorial board, after a four-year publishing hiatus.
Oxford University Press has just released the first book in the series reboot, Performance Management Transformation: Lessons Learned and Next Steps, edited by the new series editor, Elaine Pulakos and newly elected SIOP Fellow, Mariangela Batista.
Performance Management Transformation presents case studies from global marquee companies including Patagonia, AbbVie, Medtronic, Toyota, and GoGo Inflight, among others, along with research and commentary by thought leaders in the field.

And you thought you had work-family struggles before?? Now you are working from home, serving as a homeschool teacher, dealing with loads of anxiety about the new unknown, all while trying not to touch your face! 

If you feel like you are burning the candle at both ends, you are not alone. We are certainly in unprecedented times and have no research that speaks to work–family struggles during a pandemic (shocking, right?), but our aim here is to provide you with a few evidence-based suggestions for maintaining your sanity  from the work–family and remote work research literature.

Learn more about the author at  http://resiliencealliance.com/linda-hoopes-phd/

​I am writing this article early in the US response to the coronavirus epidemic. Please consider how the ideas below apply to individuals, groups, organizations, and nations as we find our way through this crisis, and also about how we can build more resilience into our systems in the future.

Although I am passionate about helping people thrive in turbulence, I must confess that I sometimes get tired of hearing the word “resilience.” Just about every conversation that takes place about change, stress, crisis, or well-being includes the term, but its definitions vary widely. Here are a few examples:

Crises tend to bring out both the best and the worst in people. On one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has people picking up groceries for their elderly neighbors, sewing masks, and sending hand sanitizers to those in need. At the same time, others are hoarding toilet paper, spreading conspiracy theories on social media, and failing to follow health directives from authorities.

Hardly anyone is going through their normal routines of getting ready for work, commuting to the office, spending the day with colleagues, returning home, and enjoying evenings with family and friends. People are struggling with how to effectively work from home while simultaneously being their children’s primary education and day care provider. Health care workers and others deemed essential are working longer hours than ever before, whereas those in the restaurant, bar, entertainment, fitness, hospitality, airline, and cruise industries sit idle.  Consultants and gig economy workers have seen most sources of income dry up, and those still employed have no idea whether their companies will be in business next year. The disruptions to our daily routine, uncertainty about finances, concerns about becoming infected or losing loved ones, and isolation are creating unprecedented levels of stress. No one is going to be at their best under these circumstances; the COVID-19 pandemic has created a perfect storm for our dark sides to emerge.