Care-work is an interesting and dynamic topic. I personally believe care-work has had an impact on every family in some way or another. Care-work definitely plays a major role in my family life as it currently is.
My wife is currently a stay at home mother and home maker. She is amazing. She takes care of our children, keeps a clean house, and cooks nearly everyday. These are just a handful of the many, many things she does throughout her day. At times I find myself taking her work for granted. I sometimes forget just how much she does. I work outside of the home, essentially a 9-5 job, and usually arrive home exhausted and tired. She too gets exhausted and tired....rightfully so.
I try to help her out as much as I can and relieve her from her 24/7 job when I get home. However, this is difficult. My wife and I compromise the best we can when it comes to the "care-work" of our home and children.
My wife is getting ready to enter the work force due to some financial issues with our family and it has been quite a chore for her. We worry about who will care for our children, and our home while we are both working. There are many things from a care-worker's aspect that we will have to make sure get done. I have ensured my wife that I will help out as much as humanly possible while we make this transition. "Juggling Work and Care" have opened my eyes and mind to ideas and topics that I didn't know existed. The UK's policy of understanding seem to be a great idea. They are flexible and provide peace of mind to care-worker's entering the traditional work field. I believe similar programming in the United States would be an asset to care workers. I believe it would definitely provide a piece of mind to my family with my wife now entering the work force. I look forward to policy change in the work force. It may not affect me now, but a positive change from an employer's standpoint could benefit my children.
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I really like reading your blog because it gives me a completely different view on all the topics we are talking about because of the people we are.
ReplyDeleteI am a single female with no children and you are a married male with a child.
Clearly we have different priorities in life and you have two other people to care about on a day to day basis.
I think that it is essential that the US change the way they treat working mothers AND fathers. How can they expect people to raise families if they never take them into consideration when creating their company? I definitely believe that there should be more flexible hours for a parent and time off should not be so restricted. I hope you and your wife fare well with her entering the work force!
Let me please start off by writing how refreshing it is to hear someone share gratitute for the work their wife does for their family. Not that you are the only man to be appreciative of domestic work, it is just simply refreshing to know there are people like you! So THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteYou stated that you are exhausted from your 9-5 job, but your wife too is exhausted from her job that is non-stop, all day. We were introduced as a class to the idea of the second shift. How do you feel by your wife returning to work will alter both you and your wife's second shift? As a society, do you agree it is women who are affected the greatest?
I want to thank you for sharing your personal experience of financial hardship and how your wife will be returning to work. The notion of how many families requiring a dual income becomes very much a reality when others share on their own experience. I agree with your ideas of the United States implementing similar work policies that are in place in the United Kingdom. Perhaps if the United States took a similar approach as the Europeans, you and your family, in addition to millions of other families, could place priorities where in my opinion, they should be; with the family.
I truly hope you show your wife what you have posted for this class as I am sure it would light up her day!! Thanks again for your post and I look forward to reading more throughout the class!
Dana