Meet Rich: Assistant vice president of, finance, dad of two children, ages 10 and 13
“We have developed a schedule for the kids…and have set expected time goals/limits around those categories and allowed them to plan their day out with some guidance.”
Richard Cardamone, assistant vice president of finance
- What do you do at HACC?
I am responsible for leading the finance and business operations teams in the Office of Finance. The teams support HACC by providing services such as accounting, accounts receivable, budgeting, cashiering, payroll and general business operations support to the various departments across the College.
- How old are your children?
I have a 13-year-old son and a 10-year-old son.
- How are you effectively juggling your professional duties and your personal duties of having your children at home while you work?
I have been waking up early, getting ready for work as if I was going to the office, and initially working from a comfortable location in my house. I am able to achieve a lot in the morning before the kids wake up and start their day. Once the family is awake, I retreat to a more secluded area, such as my bedroom where I have a desk. On nice days, I have been working outside either on my deck or screened in porch. We have developed a schedule for the kids that includes school learning, gaming time, outdoor time and free time. We have set expected time goals/limits around those categories and allowed them to plan their day out with some guidance. However, on those days they fall behind, we generally help them get back on track.
- What tips (things to do and things to not do) would you offer to other parents who are struggling with this?
- Following a normal work schedule and ensuring that I take periodic breaks to check in on the family has helped. It is better to periodically check in with the kids many times a day for short periods, rather than just checking in at lunch or the end of the day.
- Maintaining a similar home schedule as prior to the pandemic. For example, we still eat dinner as a family at the same time.
- I find that changing my working locations throughout the day has helped me with being sequestered at home.
- Throughout the day I take periodic breaks to check in with the family and kids. I have been performing stretching exercises with the kids to keep us all active.
- We take family walks in the evening to ensure we are getting fresh air. We vary the walking locations to maintain a sense of variety.
- We have been engaging our kids in preparing meals and baking. They have enjoyed the activity of making the food and ultimately eating the fruits of their labor.
