October 12, 2009 in Features

Parents blog: Translating parenting skills to the workplace

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Moms and dads who spend a few years staying at home full-time to care for their kids sometimes worry about re-entering the workforce.

First, there’s a gap in their resume. Second, by staying at home instead of going to an office or participating in conferences and other professional gatherings, they’ve also missed out on networking opportunities.

But most of all, they worry about what their potential employers might think about the fact that they’ve devoted the last few years to their families and household.

After all, how do play dates, doing laundry, volunteering at school, cooking meals, driving kids to soccer, etc., prepare you for a career?

Many would argue that parenting and running a household can actually provide valuable training for the work that takes place every day in offices, clinics, newsrooms and other workplaces.

Moms and dads who may not be earning a paycheck are using the same skills that are needed in the workforce – they’re the ones who help organize school fundraisers, manage multiple schedules, volunteer at schools and other community groups, balance the household budget and care for the well-being of people.

A recent blog post at the Wall Street Journal made some parallels between parenting and the business world. Good parenting is like good management, according to Patrick Lencioni, a management consultant and author of “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable.”

Here’s a question for parents who have worked part-time or who have spent an extended period of time outside the workforce to take care of children: What did you learn by staying at home and how did these skills and lessons prepare you to re-enter the workforce?

– Posted by Virginia de Leon

One comment on this story so far. Add yours!

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  HR1 on October 12 at 10:21 a.m.

  I took a year off from my career to care for my twins and it was very difficult but rewarding. However, I think it is misleading to stay at home parents to convince them that bottle washing, play dates and doing laundry somehow hones their workplace skills and makes them a top notch candidate for employers when they finally re-enter the workforce, especially in these times.

  I speak from direct knowledge as I’m a Director of Human Resources for a large health care company. If the time off was a year or less, then I’m not as particular but if it is longer than one year, the person should have stayed current in their field w/ relevant volunteer experience, continuing education or certifications and involvement w/ professional associations. Otherwise, I’m not interested.

  There are no controls, references or scrutiny in place to determine how well someone did when managing a household budget, compiling schedules or washing laundry. And with the rapid updates in information, criteria and technology in many fields, a large chunk of time off would make past knowledge obsolete or outdated.