Reply to Question for moms: did going part-time solve your work-life balance problem?

Forum Index » Jobs and Careers

Reply to "Question for moms: did going part-time solve your work-life balance problem?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, I highly recommend part-time if it’s workable financially. I’m a fed atty worked part-time for a few years while our kids were in early elementary. I was allowed to do it because I still worked 5 days a week, just shorter days (30 hours per week).  Honestly, I worked more than 30 hours, but by being part-time, I was better able to manage everyone’s expectations for my schedule and I had flexibility to take the time for planned and “urgent” child-related things. And because I still worked every day, I maintained my normal workload so my colleagues didn’t have to cover for me. Bottom line - it wasn’t easy, but it bought me the flexibility to be a less anxious parent while enabling me to continue my professional career during the most challenging of childcare years.[/quote]

+1 this is me exactly except I am not an attorney. The time I don’t work is filled with child care that others would outsource, so I’m not sure I’m any less busy but it’s been really good for my kids (SNs in the mix, after care is not ideal, we have weekly therapy etc). I, and my husband, enjoy knowing I could ramp back up pretty easily and earn a decent salary if he lost his job. I also know if my husband left me I’d be able to support my kids moderately well - this wasn’t something I cared about initially but I have been watching a friend deal with financial abuse and it’s been absolutely horrifying so it’s now an added benefit.

All that to say, it does depend on your spouse and your HHI a lot. I am not terribly stressed or upset by the money I leave on the table each year so I don’t get upset/angry if I work at night once in a while. I think it PT work can be great and [b]a big reason it’s not more common is the whole WOHM vs SAHM mommy wars[/b]. Just try not to buy into any of that and just do what makes sense for your family. [/quote]

I agree with most of what you said except the last part. It's not more common because a lot of employers don't offer it or don't create a culture where employees are comfortable taking it. The fed govt (until recent times) was one of the more family-friendly and work-life balance focused employers. (I'm a former fed atty from an earlier post.) [/quote]

I think it’s more common than people realize, it’s just women feel pressured by the mommy wars to present themselves as having chosen a side. I can’t tell you how many moms I’ve met who say they work, tell me what their job is, I reply with the same, and then if I say oh I actually only work PT they tell me they do as well.

I actually once knew a mom who was a lawyer with 3 kids and a nanny who “confessed” to me over drinks that she only worked 15-20 hours a week and that this was a secret she didn’t want me sharing with others. It’s how she managed to be so active in our kids’ school community, manage music lessons for all three kids, etc, but she felt it was important to keep it a secret - even as others who knew her wondered how she “did it all”. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics