Stephen Mugiraneza kept complaining that his boss told him to work overtime even during weekends or holidays whenever he required. He insisted that it be his top priorities. Mugiraneza tried to decline an overtime request from him some weeks later because of some family matters. Instead the boss unkindly responded saying, “Work should come first before anything else.” Mugiraneza asked, “Why not family?”
Stephen Mugiraneza kept complaining that his boss told him to work overtime even during weekends or holidays whenever he required. He insisted that it be his top priorities.
Mugiraneza tried to decline an overtime request from him some weeks later because of some family matters. Instead the boss unkindly responded saying, "Work should come first before anything else.”
Mugiraneza asked, "Why not family?”
He said "The employer is the hand that feeds you and your family to survive.”
In our busy world, many parents want it all, time with kids, promotions at work and a partner who shares the parenting duties.
In a time when work tends to intrude on personal time, mainly civil servants and business people, it’s necessary to prioritize both so that work doesn’t overwhelm and family life isn’t neglected.
Sometimes Mugiraneza gets puzzled that maybe his boss was somewhat right about what he said to her. However, she still believes that family should come first before work.
"By working, I provide for my family. If I do not work then I cannot provide for them. If I work overtime I can have extra to save for my children’s education, or provide even better for them,” he said.
James Biseruka, 55 years is a father of three. He sticks to this point and says that, "Family should always come first. I feel that family comes before me and there is nothing I would not do for my kids if they needed me to.”
That’s a way he was raised since family was the main thing his life.
Biseruka say, "You’d better listen to me. If you spend time with your children now, they’ll spend time with you later. If you show interest in your children now, they’ll show interest in you later. If you listen to your children now, they’ll listen to you later. If you hug them now, they’ll hug you later. If you love them now, they’ll love you later.”
Through experience he has learnt that family relationships are the most important relationships we have on earth. There is this old adage that goes, "You never go to your death bed thinking, `I wish I would have spent more time at work.”
Running businesses can be very rewarding but, it can also be time-consuming and stressful. However, it’s important that you make sure your family remains a priority while running a home business.
James Biseruka, notes that it is amazing how quickly and easily so many other things end up squeezing into our lives and pushing family aside.
"We’ve heard it said that few people (if anyone) come to the end of their lives wishing they had spent less time with family and more with work or other pursuits. We find that time gives perspective. That perspective reveals to us what matters most,” he said.