Ease Your Working Parent Guilt: What I’ve Learned Being Part-Time
So many full-time working parents daydream about what it would be like to have more time with their kids. It weighs heavy on the parent conscience, and with that comes the ever familiar feeling of guilt. We envision all of the activities, memories, and bonding experiences we could be having with our children were it not for the hours we have to put in at the office or on our lengthy commutes. I know these feelings and daydreams intimately, because I was full-time and working outside of the home 8 short months ago. In fact, one of my favorite cubicle daydreams consisted of me surprising my kids after school, their arms in hug mode, sprinting over to me, with toothy grins painted on their faces, pumped for whatever plan of action I had for that day.
These feelings of guilt would visit me on the regular while sitting in my cubicle or while in the car muddling my way through traffic each morning. That’s why shortly after I decided to resign, I was punch drunk at the notion that I would get more time with my sons. About a month later, I accepted a part-time position, with a lot of flexibility, and a family friendly approach to the work day. While working part-time and at home, I’ve come to realize my fantasies about all the extra bonding, all the new memories we’d be making, and all of the overflowing happiness the kids would be feeling…
