Yes, it is NOT all moonshine and roses but it does have ALOT of benefits. The biggest pitfall is you earn less than you normally would. (As an aside – my salary is actually NOT too bad compared to most full-time employees….)And you do a full days work in half the time. Nowhere has anyone ever said you will do half the work. EVER. You are supposed to be superhuman.
I am out of the office between 12:30 and 13:00 EVERYDAY! I do not compromise my time anymore. I get Dudie and do the usual school run with extra-mural activities, shopping, etc… We are generally home by 3pm with the exception on Fridays. Then we are home, if we didn’t have any errands, by 13:00 – 13:15.
Dudie doesn’t get homework on a Friday so by the time we get home that child is like a caged animal who has been set free. I allow him to watch TV/play his Playstation/just lounge around as he wishes. All whilst I too just plop onto my bed in my lazy state ‘cos come Friday I am beyond tired too.
So essentially a half day JOB means that I am there for all his activities. For all of his sporting fixtures – this kid plays cricket, golf, hockey, soccer and swims. Homework is done by latest 16:00 everyday. Dude gets the benefit of knowing that the family is sorted by the time he walks in the door, which is usually around 16:00. We actually have some good quality family time together. Dinner time is 18:00/18:30. Bath time is 19:00 and bed time is 19:30. And then the adults can have “time-off”.
I sent Dude this article, as I found that it was an interesting read. He agreed that the benefits of a half day JOB outranks the financial gain for a full-time salary.
BEING A STAY-AT-HOME PARENT IS A LUXURY … FOR YOUR SPOUSE
We have time for afternoon snacks, and Seattle Coffee stops whilst we go through the car wash. No more rushing like a headless chicken to get things done. And yes we eat together as a family EVERYDAY. In retrospect, our environment is alot more calmer than it used to be. And considering that our resident alien will be arriving in less than 15 weeks – well it’s definitely more beneficial to work half day.
Happy Friday!
Spirited Mama
P.S. Try to stay cool as we are experiencing a HEAT WAVE in Pretoria. Even one of the dogs is feeling it… A refreshing night swim
Melanie Blignaut
I work part-time from home too. I love it. 🙂
CaffeineAndFairydustMaz
You are living the life! I must say I am so worried about this. In my career and at my level – there is just no way that I can get a half day job. I am also the breadwinner of our family as I hold a more senior position than hubs. I worry about when Mikayla and Knox are at the age where they have extra mural activities and sport games… I don’t want to be the mom that never shows up!
spiritedmama1
This was a very hard decision to make initially as I basically stepped out of my career…sometimes I miss it but in general I feel that this was the best decision for all of us. It’s a tough one but I am sure your kids will understand given your circumstances. Not everyone is fortunate to be around. I feel that even if just one parent is around it makes a huge difference. But like I said it is not always possible. Just make the most of the time that you do get to spend with them, irrespective of when that may be.