Part-Time Perils

By Rebeldad Brian Reid

I'm closing in on kind of a weird anniversary: Next month will mark five years from the time I walked away from the full-time workforce into the wild world of part-time work, part-time-at-home-fatherhood and full-time angst.

I've since rejoined the professional rat race, but you've probably noticed that I still spend a lot of time writing about the magic of part-time work. I'm not the only one -- this blog is full of tales of do-it-all parents whose work arrangements make it possible to get some sort of rudimentary balance between work and family (Tuesday's wonderful guest blog on equal parenting is only the most recent example).

As I think back over my days as a part-timer, I'm realizing that it was no picnic. And though I don't have a moment's regret about my arrangement, no one ever warned me about any drawbacks. So, in the interest of equal time, I'd like to take a minute today and shine some light on the other side of part-time work.

The biggest drawback is the inability to reach your potential in any one area. At work, I was playing a dangerous game of trying to see how much work I could cram into the limited time I had to devote to my professional life. There wasn't time for exploration or continuing education or socialization or networking. The goal, every day, was simply to hold the line.

The time with my daughter was wonderful, but it, too, was never enough. I was claiming to be an at-home dad and probably doing a passable job, but I knew that I could be giving her more. More attention. More books. More trips to the park. But -- once again -- the time just wasn't there to be the parent I thought I could be.

The times when work and family overlapped were the most stressful. I remember those "crucial" phone calls on my days off, feeding the baby with one hand, toggling the mute button on my phone with the other, unable to focus on either.

I don't want to discourage anyone from part-time work ... I remain convinced that it represents a great tool for achieving balance. But it's not a cure-all, not in a work-obsessed culture. Fair warning.

Brian Reid writes about parenting and work-family balance. You can read his blog at rebeldad.com.

By Brian Reid |  February 22, 2007; 7:00 AM ET  | Category:  Childcare , Flexibility
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