Who says you cannot be both? If someone tells you that you cannot be a skip tracer and a parent, they are full of shit. It is possible. While it might be overwhelming and difficult to juggle at times, it is not impossible and it is not pointless. Juggling your work life and your family life is worth it. You are providing for your family, so technically they go hand in hand either way. Tinsley Keefe has been working as a skip tracer in Oklahoma City for a long period of time now, and she has gotten comfortable and rather good at juggling her life as a skip tracer and her life as a parent.
Her relationship with her kids is strong, and her strengths in her profession only continue to grow. Knowledge is never-ending. The need for expansion is always there, and Tinsley both acknowledges and respects that. This is why she shares her experience with her friends, loved ones, colleagues, and even clients. If Tinsley spreads her advice enough, eventually the knowledge will reach and help those that truly need it.
Starting out, Tinsley emphasizes the importance of days off – both vacation and non-vacation. If you overwork yourself, it is going to start to effect not only you but those around you (including your kids). By giving yourself days off, you are giving yourself the opportunity to catch your breath and spend some time relaxing with your family. You could take the standard Sunday off, or you could take Sunday off in addition to another weekday. The second thing that Tinsley stresses on is priorities: make sure you have them figured out.
If your child has a school play coming up and they tell you far enough in advance, you should make it a point to attend that school play. As a skip tracer in Oklahoma, Tinsley Keefe has the advantage of taking time off when she needs to. While this might effect payday or business, it should not effect it to the point of a negative impact.
At the same time, you should also not blow off clients that you have already made appointments with. If you have an appointment and you find out that your child has an event you would like to attend, explain to your child that you have an appointment you will try your hardest to reschedule – but, if you cannot reschedule it, you will be stuck.
Most kids are understanding when it comes to parents and work; you are providing for them, after all. If you make it to most of their events (or even half of them), most kids will be content with just that. However, if that is not the case, Tinsley has also learned as a skip tracer in OKC that communication is key. If it is obvious that your child is having issues with your busy work life, take the time to discuss it with them. Together, you should be able to work out a compromise – and remember, while it is possible to balance both, in the end family should always come first.
