Did you get your work-life balance views from your parents?
Even though my dad later admitted that he had no idea I would work after I had kids (not sure how he thought I was going to pull that off), he definitely influenced my thoughts and attitudes about work-life balance.
He’s a Marine, so he puts energy and efficiency into everything he does. He worked 6 days a week when I was growing up since he was in retail management. I remember asking him why he didn’t carry a briefcase, and, he replied, “Because that’s used for bringing work home.”
It wasn’t until I was much older that it made sense to me.
My mother didn’t work outside the home until I was in my late teens.
Even though she worked some evenings and weekends, I never once saw her doing work at home, and, when she left work for the day, she left everything behind, and, was able to relax and devote her full attention to home because she always said that “work’s not going anywhere, I’ll do it when I go back.”
Both of their actions have stuck with me even though I have a different type of job that has occasionally threatened to come home with me.
When I’ve been tempted to bring things home to “catch up”, I’ve learned to let it go, or, to do things differently during my work hours because I actively remember my father’s words and I try mightily to keep work away from home when I can.
I think if I had grown up with a father who brought work home on a regular basis, I would probably do so myself because I have to fight that tendency, so, my parents definitely influenced how I perceive work and life with kids.
How about you? Did your upbringing influence your thoughts on having a career and kids?
Ooh. I *do* bring work home…a common pitfall of teaching. Although it’s possible, I suppose, NOT to bring work home, I grew up with two workaholics.
Not to sound too corny, but this will be a post that lingers in my brain for a bit.
Therapy via blog. Who knew?
My father was blue collar, so he never brought work home. I’m a professional, but I rarely do. It’s a line I don’t like to cross, and I’ve deliberately taken a job that pays less so the expectation isn’t there. But I’ve always been like that, even in other jobs — I remember working in my office until 3:00 in the morning on a Friday night on a last minute assignment just to avoid bringing work home (or working on the weekends, which I also try to avoid like the plague). For me, it was a health event that made me wake up more than anything my dad did (mother didn’t work outside the home; she quit working just before I was born).