Ward Cleaver

In how much of human history did we have the luxury of a family making it on a single 40-hour/week income? 

The following blog entry is mainly a question of maintaining work-life-family balance.  Nothing in this blog entry is meant to say anything negative about my current employers, nor should it be construed to reflect negatively on my current employers.

To a degree, I can arrange my schedule.  Over the last couple months, I successfully traded shifts such that my weekdays were clear after 4PM.  However, because I needed more hours, I picked up an extra shift on Saturday morning.  (Yes, my posts automatically post, because at 8:37 AM, I'm usually working.)

So I've got Thursday afternoon off, so I can watch my daughter's volleyball game.  But I don't have Saturday evening off, so I can't make my son's football game. 

My kids ask "are your hours in the shadow?" - a term I coined for hours during the time they're at school.  They understand I need to pick up hours where possible, especially with the major changes this autumn. 

But, at the same time, I remember that my father had to work two jobs (and overtime on one of them) for most of my growing-up years...and I know that things would've been different if it he'd been home more.  I know that if my Dad had only worked 40 hours a week...certain changes would've been required...

I love my kids.  And, I know how important I am to them.