Improving the lives of children often starts by supporting measures that help their parents. Remote work is one such difference-maker for families.

Let’s go over some of the many ways remote work aids in alleviating stress and enables working parents to better merge professional and personal obligations.

How Remote Work Can Help Stressed-Out Working Parents

It provides control over your schedule.

Findings from the American Psychological Association note that “employee control over work can reduce stress and enhance motivation and growth.” Telework supports this idea in a big way by providing parents with greater say-so in when and where tasks get done.

“I’m less stressed when I have the opportunity to split my day up so I can pick my kids up from school and start homework,” says Kelley Kitley, a psychotherapist and mother of four. Once they have a snack and get settled, she’s able to return to certain items on her to-do list such as notes, scheduling, and responding to emails.

You can better integrate work and life.

Chores, doctor’s appointments, sports practices, dance recitals, home maintenance…all of these things and more play a part in family life. Remote work helps different aspects of the day exist harmoniously instead of battling one another, which decreases stress. Run a load of laundry during a lunch break. Be around for the washing machine repairman. Enjoy peace of mind that you witnessed your six-year-old safely getting on the school bus in the morning.

You can gain back more time.

Ask working parents about their most precious commodities and “time” appears on most lists. Remote work offers a way to gain more of it.

“The time saved on commuting can be a real game changer,” says Jenn Folsom, chief of corporate development at Summit Consulting and author of an upcoming book on working parenthood.

With a commute of about an hour door to door, Folsom appreciates the two hours she’s “given back” on days she works remotely. An added bonus: “Target runs and dry cleaning pickup are all so much faster outside of the after-work rush,” she says.

“Extra” time also provides greater opportunity for self-care, such as exercising and getting enough sleep. And whether it’s scheduling regular date nights with your spouse, being around to listen to your teen’s concerns, or playing board games together as a family, building relationships and memories beats an energy-zapping commute any day.

It can help in time of need.

All parents face daily challenges, but there’s nothing like an out-of-the-ordinary event to send stress levels skyrocketing. Remote work aids in addressing the situation, from the unexpected snow day that closes school to the plumber that needs to come ASAP to stop a leak.

“Working remotely and flexibly has helped me not be a stressed-out working parent because I don’t have to ask or receive permission to be at home with my child when they’re sick or have a day off,” says Erica Peterson, founder and CEO of Moms Can & Co.

You don’t have to choose between career and parenthood.

Finally, nobody has to tell working moms and dads that subtle (and not-so-subtle) pressure exists to meet societal expectations both as an employee and as a parent. Women especially may feel that they must choose between focusing on one role or another, and this conflict can serve as a major source of stress.

Remote work provides opportunities to combine paid employment and family care in ways that don’t disadvantage a person at work or at home. And every person who performs remote work progresses the conversation on how to continue finding ways to support parents in their effort to manage both arenas. Changing cultural outlooks and changing individual lives—remote work has power!

Are you looking for less stress and more flexibility in your career? FlexJobs offers jobs in more than 50 categories, all with flexibility that ranges from freelance, full-time, partially remote and fully remote.

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