I am an educationist who loves her profession deeply. My work does not end with the school timings but regularly spills over the day and I am happy catering to it.
Very often when people interact with me knowing the presence of my son, the question I get asked most often is 'How do you balance home and work'? Initially the question would bring in a lot of guilt and I would begin to explain my routine and how all members of family were been catered to and kept happy.
After a few years, the response became more formal and more curt. It had a 'I don't care a damn attitude of what you think of me'.
With years, my responses are short and crisp. I have accepted that people will ask me this question in the course of the conversation though I have yet to discover true balance and give the desired response.
The question racing in my mind are: Is there really a true balance? Is time to be be divided equally between work and home? Where do you place qualitative time with the family on your list then. How do you keep everyone happy?
We notice that at different junctions in your life, different set of priorities take over. Sometimes you bend more towards family, sometimes more on your work commitments depending on the prevailing circumstances.
I have realized at the end of the day, no one has asked this question to my husband yet. He too works equally hard if not more. Well, that topic has a different take on it.
Nevertheless, as an educator, at the end of the day, it is not the institute but the students who take precedence and they have to be catered to. They become your responsibility and you carry a huge responsibility on your shoulders. You cannot compartmentalize your time, so few things do get sacrificed along the way. If your family supports you, then even the moments of sacrifices could become joyous.
Very often when people interact with me knowing the presence of my son, the question I get asked most often is 'How do you balance home and work'? Initially the question would bring in a lot of guilt and I would begin to explain my routine and how all members of family were been catered to and kept happy.
After a few years, the response became more formal and more curt. It had a 'I don't care a damn attitude of what you think of me'.
With years, my responses are short and crisp. I have accepted that people will ask me this question in the course of the conversation though I have yet to discover true balance and give the desired response.
The question racing in my mind are: Is there really a true balance? Is time to be be divided equally between work and home? Where do you place qualitative time with the family on your list then. How do you keep everyone happy?
We notice that at different junctions in your life, different set of priorities take over. Sometimes you bend more towards family, sometimes more on your work commitments depending on the prevailing circumstances.
I have realized at the end of the day, no one has asked this question to my husband yet. He too works equally hard if not more. Well, that topic has a different take on it.
Nevertheless, as an educator, at the end of the day, it is not the institute but the students who take precedence and they have to be catered to. They become your responsibility and you carry a huge responsibility on your shoulders. You cannot compartmentalize your time, so few things do get sacrificed along the way. If your family supports you, then even the moments of sacrifices could become joyous.
Agree.As a working mom of 3 kids and especially now in a DIY city like London,such questions are bombarded at me quite often."I cant manage with one/two kids and how do you even manage to work".I smile and say, "I enjoy it."
ReplyDeleteTruly work life balance is not about a 24 hour day.Its about giving equally to all parts of your life over a span of time,be it career n home over the week and lot of quality time with family over weekends and holidays and yes some special time for yourself too.
Again being creatively occupied in this work n life maze can be intellectually stimulating for some of us and hence its WE who enjoy it and never complain.