Game Plan for Circuit Breaker Lite

With the recent tightening rules announced as Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) also known by many Circuit Breaker Lite, many Singapore dads are back to default Work-from-home and full home-based learning for most students.

A throwback to last year’s circuit breaker when our days will be segmented into sessions of HBLs for the kids, work meetings, activities to keep the kiddos engaged and not forgetting to mention the daily housekeeping chores… all these memories flooded back instantly with the recent announcement.

Well, we were not exactly looking forward to that  as we have to put on many juggling hats during that period of time and multi-tasking skills are definitely essential to survive the ordeal. On the contrary, our kids were overjoyed with the news of home-based learning again. ????

Me and Jenny definitely can empathize with all the working parents out there. With the prospect of school closures, as well as workplaces moving back to remote working, the line between work life and family life is going to be blur. It is likely to increase the stress level and anxiety for many parents out there and may sometimes resulted in strained relationship between the couple.

So for all the dads trying to work from home and taking care of their loved ones, fret not, here is a game plan to make your working from home easier and we can survive not only the pandemic, but each other too!

1. Setting Boundaries and spaces

Setting your boundaries is a game changer for couples working from home. In an office, there is a clear segregation of space and some unspoken rules about the use of physical office space. However, when you work from home, you may get too comfortable that you might cross into the other person’s boundaries unknowingly. So it is important to establish some space boundaries first, and respect your partner’s space.

It is also important to set non-work boundaries. Unless you have a clear and designated office space at home, your work and home lives are very blurred now. There are three ways to set your non-work boundaries:

• Time: only certain times of the day are for work, e.g. from 9am to 6pm; others are not.
• Space: work is off limits in certain place of your house
• Handphone usage: putting your phone away during meal time can foster quality family time, which can be very helpful during the stay-home quarantine period. It can allow more communication to take place and can help to rekindle romance.

2. Dividing responsibilities

Most dads might be more familiar with their household responsibilities now after the first round of Circuit Breaker, however, we can always take this CB lite as a chance to better improve our game plan.

Sit down with your partner, grab a paper and pen, draw a line down the middle and write down what were your responsibilities during the CB period, like what me and Jenny has done. Then, make changes and improvements based on your discussions!

If you feel like giving cooking a try during this round of working from home, feel free to add it to the list! It may spice up your monotonous stay at home life.

Feel free to get your kids involved in the household chores too! Not only can this create a great family bonding activity, assigning each person different tasks that everyone agreed upon allows everyone to know what needs to be accomplished without feeling like you are being nagged at.

3. Open communication

Open communication is the key to every type of relationship on earth. If something is bothering you, speak up. But use a gentle tone, of course. If you raise your voice, your partner will take offence and start to shout as well. Instead, talk about practical solutions for both parties to mitigate the issue. Don’t focus on whose fault it is and push the blame around. Don’t point fingers, but instead, help your spouse see that you would like him/her to help out more in certain areas. This way, nothing gets solved and your relationship worsens.

Covid-19 has presented families with a lot of new challenges. But with compassion, communication, and willingness to help, this can be a great time for family to grow and become closer than ever. Families who flourish through this challenging time will learn to listen, understand, learn and laugh together.

So hang on all there, daddys! We can do it! ????????

Article contributed by Edmund – Founder of Dating Moments