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Father Time

Striking a Balance Between Work and Home

By Jenny Rackley

Pat Ryan works from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. His wife, Terri, leaves for work at 5:00 p.m. Although that doesn't leave much time for the two of them during the week, Pat enjoys evenings with his sons Robby, 3, and Christopher, 2. Pat also reports another advantage: "When both parents are together, the kids tend to play us off each other. They are much better behaved when there is only one parent here."

If a father works less than 40 hours a week, the family might feel a little pinch in the pocketbook. But some families can handle it by making a conscious choice to live more simply. Many health-care positions are becoming part-time, giving workers more days off. Some positions are 24 hours a week (two 12-hour shifts), or 36 hours a week (three 12-hour shifts). While 12 hours is a long day, think of the flip-side: You'll have four or five days off each week.

A telecommuter works at home on his own computer, connected to the company's computer by modem. But this melds the workplace and home, and telecommuting might leave you just as unavailable to the kids as if you were working at the office. In fact, many telecommuters find that they need a babysitter in the home. There are advantages: being available to eat lunch with the children, savng time and saving money commuting to work. It may be less stressful than work at an office, and every day becomes casual day!

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