Working parents need to understand that they need to strike a balance between work and home so that children don’t carry the scars of unhappy childhood due to the parent’s lack of time. At the same time, they need not be constantly on a guilt trip just because they are working parents. They need to act level-headed in order to help their children grow as balanced personalities.

Spend quality time with your child: You need not spend the whole day with your child to create a bond, spend quality time with him. But the term ‘quality time’ has been largely misconstrued. Quality time doesn’t mean reserving certain amount of time for your child. It also means being there for your child when he needs you and not when it is convenient for you.

Don’t look at your convenience: Working parents often reserve Sun-days for spending quality time with their child and shun their demands on other days due to exhaustion or other preoccupations. But there may be some curious questions, some beautiful experiences to be shared which cannot wait till Sunday. Lack of time and attention from you may kill your child’s spirit which cannot be rekindled the next Sunday. Be there for your child when he simply wants you to listen to his stories or wants you to feel proud of the stars on his homework notebook.

Make good times a part of the daily routine: Working parents make special effort to plan holidays
or outings to make up for the loss of ‘good times’ together. But why wait till then? Don’t plan or schedule, make ‘good times’ part of the routine of the day. Meal time, bath time, bed time can be as special and enthralling for the child as any holiday and give him some of the most cherished memories of childhood.

Don’t compensate your absence with presents: Parents often out on business trips try to compensate the child for lack of time with gifts. Keep gifts for occasions or as token of appreciation of your child or else your child may start preferring those ‘presents’ to your presence. Don’t go overboard with love and affection: Working parents who nurse guilt in their sub-conscious mind, have already decided to show-er hugs and kisses on their child when they reach home even if he
has behaved in the worst possible man-ner that day. Guilt will make you feel inadequate as a parent and relent to the tantrums of your child. There-fore, like any normal parent, find out if your child needs you to be firm for his wrongful acts of the day or deserves to be hugged as appreciation for
his behaviour.