NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/misc/kids/33547

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-28 | 1.7 KB

From: [e-mail] (Jane Marcus)
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 18:29:44 GMT
Subject: Re: Is There A Mommy Track for Technical Professionals?
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Organization: HP Fort Collins, Co.
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Regarding working different shifts:

My husband and I have done a variation on this since our kids were born.
My husband quit his fulltime job after our first kid was born, and he
established his own small business.  Basically, our kids have never
been in day care.  I work a traditional work shift and when I come home,
my husband does his work.  Since my husband owns his business, he has all
the headaches of keeping his business afloat, but also has some flexibility
in what he takes on.

So, now that I've briefly described what we do to manage careers and
child care, I'll say it's very hard on us.  I don't wish to complain since
this arrangement is completely our choice, but I want to point out that this
can be exceptionally difficult to manage.  There is very little time when all
of us can interact as a family.  Neither I nor my husband feels that there
is any discretionary personal time.  We have to make more that just the
usual effort to keep our marriage going since we have so little time
together.  In sum, this arrangement can be very stressful.  But on the
other hand, we have reasonable job satisfaction and also feel very close to
our children.  So this continues to be the right arrangement for us.  While
it works for us, it clearly would not work for all couples raising kids.

my 2 cents,
Jane Marcus
[e-mail]