Reply to Are you offended when someone says they “didnt want someone else to raise my kids”?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No, I’m not offended. I work and have childcare and I still feel this way. I’d prefer to be the one at home raising ’my kids but a) I’m not comfortable with the financial trade offs (including a significant reduction in the quality of education we’d be able to access if I didn’t work) and b) most careers, including mine, are difficult to return to after a gap at home caring for children.

Unless you have a very high earning spouse and can stay home without financial sacrifice, the decision about whether to stay home with kids or work and find childcare is a very difficult one.[/quote]

This. The vast majority of jobs in America are not remote or hybrid. The NYT article linked below shows that in 2024, 10% of workers are fully remote, 10% are hybrid, and 80% are in office. There are many industries and roles that cannot and shouldn’t be remote. Some people on here sneer at surgeons but when you go to get a hip replacement you’ll be very grateful you’re not going to your surgeon’s house to go under the knife while kids eat pirate’s booty over you. Do you really want someone reviewing your tax returns from a lawn chair at their kid’s soccer game? Do you want traders trading from their living rooms while their kids are screaming about peanut butter crackers and not able to connect with their boss if they have questions because their boss’ core hours ended an hour ago? Some people have check the box deliverables that don’t require much collaboration, oversight, interaction, or in person collaboration but those people make up about 10% of the US workforce.

While mothers of young children comprise a larger percentage of remote workers the idea that women are working in remote roles so they can provide childcare to young children during their workday is ridiculous and feeds into negative stereotypes about people who work remotely, especially parents, taking advantage of flexwork to provide childcare and being less dedicated. The main benefit for many working parents of a remote or hybrid role is cutting out a commute, the average amount of daily commuting is 52 minutes total, which leads to more availability for children after working hours.

I don’t take offense to someone saying they don’t want their children raised by strangers and that’s why they stayed home because if your child is in childcare 9 hours a day during the week (this barely allows for a 9-5 workday and 52 minutes of commuting total) and you spend every weekend, federal holiday, and 25 days of vacation/sick days with them each year, you will spend just under 49% of daytime hours with them every year (assuming they sleep for 11 hours a night, or go to bed at 7:45 and wake up at 6:45).

I think what’s pretty sad is people not having the ability to understand that not everyone’s life is like their life and that their choices are not everyone else’s choices. You may be able to work remotely for five hours a day and you may never have to answer emails at 4 or 5 pm or need to take a meeting at 5:30 and your partner may never have to take a meeting at 8:30 or 10 am and neither of you may need to go into an office but this is not a common experience because it’s a) relatively recent and b) doesn’t hold for the vast majority of industries. For many people it is simply a choice of wanting to spend more time with their children when their children are young and either taking a very part time job or staying at home being the best option to make that happen.

[/quote]

We did make a financial sacrifice in order for me to stay home. I was making around $80k when I left the work force and I assume 15 years later, even without any extraordinary promotions I'd be making at least double that.

But we still have a very nice life and can afford to live more than comfortably on my husband's salary. But we are definitely not private school/country club/luxury car types, and wouldn't be even if I worked. So it feels like a worthy trade off to us. My husband works a normal schedule and is not remotely "absentee." In fact, he left BigLaw shortly after our oldest was born because of this. He typically works 40 hours a week, often less, and very rarely more only if there is something afoot at work. But its always short lived. He will be able to retire by 55. I don't know if he will choose to, but he'll have the option. [/quote]

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