Sapna Awatramani
Sapna is People Ops Manager at Good Business Lab (GBL), a non-profit labor innovation company that uses rigorous academic research to prove that worker wellbeing programs have business impacts. She has always been passionate about enhancing ‘people’ experience at the workplace. She lives in Jaipur, India with her husband and 11-year-old son.
What does your normal working day look like?
Let me start with the disclaimer that we mostly try to stick to this routine, but there are days when we go off track.
I wake up at 6 am (to a clean and clutter-free house). I try to get my endorphins going in the first few hours of the day by either hitting the gym or working out at home, depending on my husband’s travel schedule. By the time I’m done, my husband and son are back from cycling, and we have our breakfast together. These few minutes charge us up and set the tone for the day!
My husband drops my son off at school on his way to the office, and I start getting ready for my office (which is my home, I am a work-from-home Mom and trust me, it is not as easy as it seems for being able to take care of the kids). I normally work from 10 am to 8 pm, and in between, I take a short break to pick my son up from his school. We also take turns taking our son to skating classes in the evening.
Dinner is usually 8 pm, and after dinner is our family time. We mostly enjoy taking a walk or playing Puno or Sudoku. This 1-hr takes away all the stress and allows us to end our day with something fun. Since we get up early, our bedtime is 10 pm, and I make sure I spend 30 minutes with my son before he goes to bed to talk about anything he loves or hates!
How long have you had this routine?
We started this routine when my kid started going to formal school That’s when we realised we could design a day that accommodates all of our various needs.
How has it changed as your children have gotten older or as your family has grown?
We have become increasingly accustomed and consistent with our routines over the last six years, and the Pandemic only solidified that. Our motivation to keep it comes from the profound impact on our health (mental health), relationships and productivity levels. Furthermore, we don’t have the guilt of not being able to give enough time to our son.
What are the most important things for you to get right to have a successful day?
First, we have househelp which makes our lives easier. Second, we start the day early and make the most of it from start to finish.
We have also worked out a strategy which is quite simple - my husband starts his work early so can come back early. He manages evening stuff and also helps my son with his math and science problems. I take charge of mornings. This keeps the distribution even and smooth!
Booking daily essentials online has also been helpful in saving a significant amount of time
Switching to weekends, what are the most important things to get right to have an excellent weekend day?
We try to wake up by 6 am on the weekends too, so that: 1) we don’t hate Mondays and 2) can utilise the whole day for the things planned (Planning is the KEY!). We love to go shopping, meet friends, go to places or have some community time. Evenings we spend watching TV together. Sometimes, we do a reading hour or karaoke singing too.
How do you "turn off work" and give the kids your full attention?
Giving my son my full attention is only possible when I shut down my laptop. Once I do that, attention invariably shifts to my son. I also try not to have any calls or chat on Whatsapp with my family or friends when it is family time. Instead, I make my calls I am driving down to pick my son up from his school or while doing any chores in the morning.
Do you have anything that works particularly well in your childcare situation?
Support from my husband and an extra hand from househelp have worked magic! We don’t hesitate to bother our parents when in need — they come over and stay with us. This works as a great emotional support.
What have been the most impactful things you've done to save time / energy in your family?
We both have cut down our time on TV and socialising during weekdays. I am also mindful of my time spent on social media apps.
What principles have served you best in your parenting?
Sticking to a routine, and working to strike a fine balance between work and life is something our son sees us do every day and will find useful as he moves along in his life! Since I work from home, my son is exposed to my work ethics too.
Spending time with both of our families also brings him closer to our roots and value system, and we hope he will understand the value of investing in relationships. We believe in honest and open conversations and are always available for our son when he needs us the most. For example, he is excited to share stories from his school, so I make sure I give him full attention when he gets back from school.
We are conscious of pampering and try not to over-provide. We also encourage our son to be more independent and share some responsibilities. Watering plants, making the bed, cleaning up his room, folding laundry, arranging the dinner table for guests, etc. are a few things he takes joy in doing.
What is your approach to screen time?
We are disciplined ourselves and restrict TV time to only weekends. For mobiles, we use the digital wellbeing tab on android (screen time on iPhone) and hold each other accountable.
How do you handle hard behaviour e.g. tantrums?
We avoid reacting and talk it through when my kid is comfortable listening!
Is there a primary parent in your household, or do you split the parenting evenly?
I am the primary parent when my husband has to travel a few days a month. But, when he is home, we split it evenly. I also make it a point to go out on a date with my girlfriends once a month, and my husband and son enjoy alone time together.
What is something unusual or unique that you do in your family?
We pray together every evening before our dinner and say “Family that prays together stays together”!
One interesting thing I tried recently is that I enrolled myself and my son in a music class (vocal). It’s an opportunity for a different type of bonding that we have enjoyed over the last months.
What piece of advice do you give to all new parents? What advice should they ignore?
My advice to new parents is to be prepared to adjust, accommodate and design new ways to help you with this change. Parenting is like an adventurous road trip: you shift gears, accelerate, slow down, apply brakes, wait for signals and sometimes, take a detour.
The advice they should ignore is advice about good parenting! Most of it comes naturally, and you will figure your way out based on what suits your situation and needs. Believe me, you have got all the powers within you to navigate the best way through the world of parenting!