👋 Hey Reader!

Here’s what I’ve got for you in today’s issue of WFH Dads:

→ The transition from work-mode to dad-mode

→ Recommendation of the week - A John Williams documentary

Let's get into it.

Switching from work-mode to dad-mode

I recently asked the following on social media:

It was interesting to see some of the challenges that dads are facing. The one that seemed to come up the most was the transition from work-mode to dad-mode.

This reply got 73 likes:

I've definitely experienced this myself, so let's talk about how to make that transition easier.

In addition to sharing what's worked for me, I was curious to hear from other WFH dads. So I asked:

I'll include some of those findings as well, but feel free to dive into the full thread here!

Have a separate space

This was the most common response from dads, and I'm not surprised (have even written a newsletter about it).

The physical space

Having a separate space to work can help create physical boundaries that communicate to you and your family 'this is where work happens.'

A few dads shared that they have cues for their family to communicate when they're in do-not-disturb mode, such as a closed door or headphones on their head.

Another dad takes it a step further and doesn't do any DAD stuff in his office at all. He wrote:

The digital space

In addition to having the separate physical space, a lot of dads ensure they make work inaccessible in their digital space as well.

For me, my work laptop stays in the office and I don't have Slack on my phone.

Another dad sets up an automated do-not-disturb setting on his phone to begin when the work day is over.

One dad even swaps out his eSIM at the end of the day to more easily ignore work calls when he isn't working.

The transition from work-mode to dad-mode is cleaner when you create both physical and digital boundaries between work and home.

Hold to a hard stop time

This is the one that I've seen have the biggest impact for me.

You need to have a designated stop time and stick to it ruthlessly.

Here's what a few dads wrote:

I even have UNAVAILABLE on my work calendar when my work day has ended to ensure no one schedules a meeting with me outside of work hours.

And if you're worried about accidentally working through that stop time:

Some dads will wrap up some work tasks after the kids are in bed, but I recommend trying to avoid this when you can!

The more you can confine work to specific hours, the easier it will be to ACTUALLY step away from work (both physically and mentally).

Do a shutdown ritual

You want to do something to communicate to your own mind that the work day is now over.

Here's mine:

• have an alarm at 4pm called '2nd shift'
• turn off my computer
• close my office blinds
• turn off the lights
• close the office door

Other dads jot down the things they need to work on the next day to clear their mind of it.

One dad changes into home clothes.

A lot of dads talked about going on a short walk that serves as their 'commute.'

A couple other approaches:

Do something that signals to you (and maybe even your family) that your work day has officially come to an end. I may have to try the dadasaur ritual 🦖.

Is dad-mode ever off?

Several dads shared how they don't ever switch out of 'dad-mode.'

One dad wrote:

I hear that. I don't magically STOP being a dad when I'm in work-mode. I've also taken many a meeting with a child in my lap or while sitting in car line to pick up my kid from school.

But I found that to get deep, focused work done in a way that doesn't interfere with my family time, I need dedicated time and space for work-mode. I am a pretty terrible dad AND employee if I always try to do both simultaneously.

I did appreciate this response though:

If you struggle with making the switch from work-mode to dad-mode, try out one of these ideas this week!

Recommendation of the week

A John Williams documentary

It is quite astounding the amount of iconic music John Williams has composed (and still composes...he's in his 90s!).

Just to name a few movies he's worked on:

• Star Wars
• Jurassic Park
• Harry Potter
• Indiana Jones
• Jaws
• E.T.

Every single one of those has MULTIPLE themes that stick with you forever. In the documentary, you get to see his unexpected venture into movie music, Spielberg's reaction when he pitched the Jaws theme, footage when they were recording the opening music to Star Wars, and a lot more.

As someone who studied classical guitar in college and got a degree in sound recording technology, I really loved this one.

One funny note was he shared how when his kids were younger, he could have worked from home but just went into the studio to compose because the home was too loud and distracting. If only he had this newsletter 😆!

​Streaming on Disney+.

What about you?

What do you do to switch from work-mode to dad-mode?

Thom Gibson Founder of WFH Dads ​​​

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600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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