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He's a multimedia editor, which often keeps him up editing video until the wee hours of the morning or has him out covering events at night or on weekends. I'm a newspaper editor by day who juggles a freelance writing career at night. We work for the same company, and we're parenting the same five kids. But he's dealing with a wrinkle that I don't: As a man, no one really expects him to be struggling with work-life balance.
That's not to say that he doesn't struggle with it. Believe me, he does. It's just that, if he has to work late, it's assumed that I'll handle all things kid- and house-related. And I do. But if I have to work late, I always feel like there's a price to be paid.
And I know that's coming from within -- I'm the one keeping score, not him. Over at Sparkplugging's The Man Page, Derek Semmler asks working father of six Leo Babauta if women have a harder time achieving work-life balance than men. "Moms who work often juggle a lot more than dads do, as they often assume more of the home responsibilities (not necessarily, but more often than not)," he replies. (Moms who work from home, or who stay at home, have an even bigger problem, he points out: "Their work IS their home life, so there’s no division at all.")
It's not a new issue at all: A 2007 survey by Careerbuilder.com and reported by CNN found that 37 percent of working dads say they'd leave their jobs if their spouse made enough money to support the family, and another 38 percent say they would take a pay cut to spend more time with their kids. Their ability to do so has been affected by the economy's current downward spiral, of course -- but, then again, the economy is affecting working moms as well.
So, readers, I'm wondering (and I hope you'll tell me): How is your work-life balance, as compared to your spouse? Does he worry about it as much as you do? And how does his juggle affect your own?
Lylah M. Alphonse writes about juggling career and parenthood at The 36-Hour Day and Work It, Mom!, and blogs at Write. Edit. Repeat.