How to be a working parent? Lower your standards

How to be a working parent? Lower your standards

From Life Kit: Parenting by NPR

April 13, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges of being a working parent and offers insights on balancing work and family life.

From brain fog to identity crises to complicated feelings of guilt (or relief), returning to work as a new parent can be daunting. Luckily, you don't need to navigate this transition alone. Life Kit reporter Andee Tagle talks to working parents and experts about how to balance a job, parenting and being a person all at once. Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekit Sign up for our newsletter here. Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at lifekit@npr.org Support the show and listen to it sponsor-free by signing up for Life Kit+ at plus.npr.org/lifekit See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Andee Tagle

Topics covered

  • working parent
  • balance
  • identity crisis
  • guilt
  • parenting

Keywords

  • working parent
  • brain fog
  • identity crisis
  • guilt
  • parenting advice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

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