Keeping the Kids Close As They Move Onto Adulthood
This article in the New York Times talks about the strategies that some families employ to combat the empty nest feeling and try to keep their families close. Some demographic trends still support this with children staying in the home longer etc., but for the most part, parents see children going off to school or leaving the house and worry about if their days as a tight knit family are a thing of the past.
However, what this article does call out is the ability to create strategies and organized meet ups to maintain strong family bonds even while the families are ever changing (in laws, grand kids, etc.). It’s worth a read if you might be missing your college student or are just curious about ways to keep your family close to you.
Demands of Caregiving Impact On Employees
Companies, HR Departments and Employees all need to start looking at the issue of work life balance when caring for another - whether that be a young child or elder adult, etc. Ultimately, what likely needs to happen is that people need to share what they are going through more with HR and HR needs to be looking at new and different benefit packages that include ways for people to finance support OR provide more flexibility in order to keep people productive.
What was interesting in this article from Canada was the idea that those with caregiving duties on TWO sides (children and elder adults) often referred to as the Sandwich Generation, were actually less anxious than counterparts who were dealing with only elder adult care responsibilities. It seems counterintuitive because one would assume that “more” caregiving responsibilities would result in more stress, but apparently this may not be the case. The takeaway in the article:
“Employers can use this information when considering benefits for their employee caregivers, says Halinski, because it’s important to remember it isn’t just parents who need support. “People have been forgetting about people who don’t have kids, or any family responsibility per se. They’ve been taken out of the work-life balance conversation and there’s been a little pushback from them saying, ‘Employers should be looking at me as well.’””
Could You Be Paid As A Primary Caregiver?
Many caregivers assume the role out of responsibility OR sometimes because no one else will assume the mantle. However, when this happens, they may not be looking at possible ways to receive financial aid or pay for performing the “work”. This post on the AARP site talks about some of the ways that caregivers can qualify for financial assistance.
What Is the Cutest Thing In The World?
On the lighter side - I asked Google what is the cutest thing in the world and the result from Quora, had some pretty good images. So if you are looking for a fun read through some cute pics, here’s the link:
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