Yoslanie
and Juan José: “Parenthood has bound us together as colleagues and friends”
“Challenging and creative” are the two
words that first come to mind to Yoslanie when she describes the process of
harmonising work and parenthood. She and Juan José have two toddlers, Julieta (3)
and Juan Ignacio (1 ½).
Yoslanie and Juan José tell us that two
of the most valuable lessons they have learned since entering the world of
parenthood are “mastering multitasking and establishing priorities”. “Every
time one of us has something especially important to do at work that might
affect our family routine, we sit down and discuss priorities. Fortunately, we
know each other very well, and as coworkers, we always agree on what works best
for the entire family.”
Yoslanie admits that parenting has
brought enormous changes to their lives, but “fortunately, the company has been
tremendously flexible and we’ve been able to adapt to our new family routine.”
Just as some other double parents pointed
out in previous posts, she says that sharing time and experiences with other
first-time parents inside the company has been very rewarding. “We have shared
anecdotes and unending memories about our children. This has bound us together
and enriched our daily routines at work.”
For Smartmatic, the smartbaby-boom
brought some unexpected positive results among employees. In the case of
Yoslanie, she notes how open and warm other parents were to them when they
announced their pregnancy.
“We felt the empathy of many colleagues
right away. Because we were a bit lost in the complex world of parenthood and
we were just moving to another country with the company, our coworkers became
our family. Those who were already parents gave us world advices and offered invaluable
help. Nowadays, we share ideas, recommendations and tips. The best part is that
these days, we are not longer limiting our conversations to work. We now have a
shared favourite topic: our kids and parenting; and it could not be better!”
In spite of the time and effort they put
into their careers and all the dedication that parenting requires, Yoslanie and
Juan José have kept their love for dancing intact. “One anecdote we cherish, is
how a few years ago we planned to go to Smartmatic’s Christmas Party. We love
those parties! But with two kids we have to get really serious about finding
someone to look after them or as a last resource, bringing them alone. Yes, we
have actually done that! Two years ago we took Julieta to the party, and when
we got there, we realised that she was the only baby. Luckily, she behaved
wonderfully, and even had the chance to hit the dance floor while she was
napping in her pram next to us.
The following year, we were 8 months pregnant with Juan Ignacio, and once again, we didn’t want to miss the party, so we decided to find someone to babysit Julieta. Coincidentally, Julieta’s godfather –who also works in the company- said he didn’t feel like partying so he offered staying to take care of our daughter. We will never know if he really didn’t feel like going or if we looked just too desperate. However the case, to this day we are grateful he ‘sacrificed’ himself for our family. Yet, we did go with Juan Ignacio (but still in the belly…)”
The following year, we were 8 months pregnant with Juan Ignacio, and once again, we didn’t want to miss the party, so we decided to find someone to babysit Julieta. Coincidentally, Julieta’s godfather –who also works in the company- said he didn’t feel like partying so he offered staying to take care of our daughter. We will never know if he really didn’t feel like going or if we looked just too desperate. However the case, to this day we are grateful he ‘sacrificed’ himself for our family. Yet, we did go with Juan Ignacio (but still in the belly…)”
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