As kids get older, there are more and more activities for them to do. Many kids play sports in either recreational leagues or at school, and, nearly all teams are made possible by volunteer coaches such as parents.
But, according to sports leagues, it’s getting harder and harder to get parents to volunteer, and, speculation is that one reason is more people are working parents, and, it’s hard to fit coaching a team into an already busy schedule.
Even though it’s easy to blame working parents for the lack of volunteers, I think another large factor may be that potential volunteers don’t …read more

As if I haven’t been off work enough, what with the kids and the house, I find that I have to have yet another day off tomorrow.
There’s several things I need to do, including taking my youngest to a dental appointment.
But, lately, when I’m requesting time off, I find myself being more and more general about why I need it. I’ve got nothing to hide, I’m not ashamed, and, no one really cares why I’m out. There’d be no problem if I just said whatever I was doing, but, I’ve been off so much, I feel like a …read more

The literature regarding working parents is rife with references to tailoring one’s job using terms such as “flexible scheduling”, and, “work from home”, in order achieve the elusive work-life balance.
While I recognize that these types of arrangements cab be ideal for meeting the needs of employed parents, I can’t help but wonder if they are realistic for most people.
There are people who work in traditional places of employment, as well as those people who do shift work, where setting your own schedule, or, working from home just isn’t realistic.
You either work the job as it is stated, or, they’ll …read more

Yesterday, I had to watch the kids for a little bit in the morning which caused me to get to work a couple of hours late. Which also made me get home a couple of hours late. When I walked in the door, the family was just finishing dinner and we ran around like fools for a few minutes and then put them to bed.
All of which reminded me that I like my schedule to be pretty regular. With my normal routine, I do not see the kids in the morning, but I do see them for …read more