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It can be challenging to balance the roles of “veterinarian” and “parent”—but fortunately, many veterinary professionals find ways to make it work. It helps to have strategies for planning ahead and finding a support system.
Considerations for Childcare in Veterinary Medicine
Balancing parenthood and a career in veterinary medicine can definitely present challenges. One of the biggest aspects to consider is time and flexibility. Clinical practice can carry long hours. Often, these hours aren’t flexible, especially when the appointment schedule is packed or when patients need urgent or emergency care.
All of this can make it difficult to leave to pick a child up from school, stay home to care for a sick child, or make it to a child’s soccer game—to name a few examples.
A busy and tired vet professional might also feel discouraged if they seem to be missing out on quality time with their child.
Additionally, there are cost considerations, since raising a child can be expensive! This becomes even more of a factor should a child have special needs.
While there are other considerations when it comes to being a veterinary professional and having children, these are some of the biggest and most frequently cited concerns. Add to this the fact that the veterinary profession is predominantly female in recent years—and (for better or for worse), in our society, many childcare and home care duties often still fall to females, even if they are employed—and it’s easy to see that veterinarians can benefit from strategies for balancing career and family.
It Takes a Village—Creating a Network of Support
There’s an old saying that “It takes a village to raise a child.” However, in modern society, it seems we’re often expected to “do it all.” We’re busier than ever. Since the pandemic started, many of us have had to handle life’s responsibilities while feeling isolated, too.
Is there a way to get back to that “village” mentality? Many experts argue that developing close relationships with extended family and friends is healthy for a child, even at a very young age. And a child’s parents may benefit from having a healthy network of mutual support.
Here are a few ideas for where and how help can be implemented…
Spouse or partner. If a parent is in a relationship, it’s important to discuss the sharing of responsibilities. This is not just for childcare, but also for household duties like cooking, cleaning, doing the budget, and more. Having a partner take on some of these tasks can give the vet professional more time to spend with their children.
Hiring help. If it’s at all reasonable for the budget, it may make sense to hire someone to help—like a nanny, babysitter, or someone to pick up or drive the kids when needed.
Additionally, it may help to hire someone to clean the home, to send out laundry, or to use a meal delivery service. Nowadays, many services can be scheduled via apps. These service providers free up valuable time and energy for the vet professional. In addition to making it a bit easier to parent, this freeing up of time may also help with physical and emotional health.
Extended family. Maybe the children’s grandparents or aunt/uncle live nearby and would love to spend some time with the kids. While being respectful of their time and obligations, it may be worth it to check with these family members about taking the kids after school until you get home from work.
Friends. Maybe you have close friends or neighbors who wouldn’t mind helping from time to time—especially if they have children of their own and you could return the favor at another time.
Of course, not all of these options will be available to everyone. But, brainstorming all possible options, and planning ahead, gives the best chance of having support when it’s really needed.
Making Arrangements at Work
If you’re struggling with finding childcare, consider the best way to talk to your employer about how this could affect your work. They may surprise you by being open to making allowances—such as allowing you to pick up your children from school and then return to work.
If you must leave work early for an emergency or for an event such as a child’s dance recital, your coworkers may be able to fill in and help, too.
However, in all of these scenarios, it’s important to be courteous to the needs of colleagues, too. Everyone has their own obligations in life. Many people may have things that take up time and emotional energy—such as a chronic illness, a parent with dementia, a battle with depression, etc.—that they don’t talk about at work.
So, don’t assume it will always be easy for child-free coworkers to cover the time you miss, or to see your patients if you must leave suddenly. Instead, try to arrange a swap. Or, offer to make up the time in the case of an emergency. Also, children should be well-behaved if they are brought to the workplace. That way, everyone feels mutually respected, and the workplace can be supportive of everyone’s needs over the long term.
Pre-Parenthood and Maternity Leave
If you’re in a position where you’re planning to have a family in the next couple of years, it may be beneficial to plan ahead and take a serious look at your current (or prospective) job and how that fits into your plan.
For example, are there others working there who have children—and how are they managing it? How flexible and conducive to parenting needs is the workplace?
Also, what are the benefits like? Is there paid maternity (or even paternity) leave? In cases of small practices that might not be able to afford extended maternity leave, does it seem like they are still trying their best to accommodate employees who have recently become parents?
Would a career shift (to industry, academia, or relief veterinary services, for example) be a better fit for you at this time?
Another consideration would be for vet professionals who are considering fertility treatments or need other medical care to become a parent. Could the workplace accommodate the many appointments that would be needed during this time?
Being a Pet Parent
Many veterinarians and team members view their pets as children—regardless of whether or not they also have two-legged kids.
So, it may also be worth it to look into factors such as whether or not you can bring your dog to work so they’re not home alone all day, and what sort of discount is available to employee pets.
Conclusion
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Every family will have unique needs, and balancing work and family may be difficult at times.
However, by finding the best possible work arrangement for their situation and creating a “village” of support, many vet professionals make parenthood work for them!
Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM
