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I have to admit the lowered stress level is attractive but I'd hate to think of the stress I'd be putting on my husband's shoulders.
You know what I wish? I wish there were more part time jobs so both parents could do something like work 30 hours a week and both could enjoy extra time off while still providing their families with the benefits of two incomes.
Excellent idea.
I wonder if American culture could ever get past the greed of more,more,more and start embracing a more laid back European way of living.
I used to work for a fortune 100 company a couple of years ago and the growth goals were just absolutely ridicules. There expecting double digit growth year and year.
That god almighty frigging dollar rules.
I'd be willing to do a little down scaling of my life.
I don't like it when people shop at stereotypes are us and since I've lived this one for over a decade, I can speak to why the stereotype is wrong. Things can go very smoothly if both parents work together and having a 52 inch plazma TV is not a sin
I hate the talk that parents put things before their kids if they both work. That's nonsense. The reasons I work have little to do with buying things and that's true of most dual working couples. Most of us are working to provide a better life for our families. If we're lucky, there's enough left over for that plazma TV
I think this sort of thing skipped a generation. As a woman whose mother pushed her towards cooking, sewing, and domestic arts, the last thing I wanted to do was any of that - though I can if I have to.
So for the younger generation, it's novel, romantic, and perhaps much more interesting.
I wonder if American culture could ever get past the greed of more,more,more and start embracing a more laid back European way of living.
I used to work for a fortune 100 company a couple of years ago and the growth goals were just absolutely ridicules. There expecting double digit growth year and year.
That god almighty frigging dollar rules.
I'd be willing to do a little down scaling of my life.
I believe, Europe didn't embrace the European way of living. Didn't the government mandate shorter work weeks to create more jobs because of high unemployment??? ... Oh yeah, we have that here now...
I don't think it's greed on the part of the workers here but an unwillingness of employers to hire part time instead of full time. I don't see a lack of people who want to work fewer hours and are willing to take less pay to do that. I see a lack of positions where you can do that. Plus benefits are often tied to full time work. In many European countries, you have government medical insurance whether you work full time, part time or no time. Not saying I want socialized medicine, just pointing out a fact that may influence people's decision to work full time.
Unfortunately, in a capitalistic system, there's no incentive for employers to consider the work/life balance of their employees. They just want more, more, more out of them.
That said, years ago, I worked for DuPont and they were allowing chemists and lab techs to job share so that they still got their benefits. I knew one couple where each of them worked 30 hours a week for 75% of their pay but the family had full medical. I thought that was nice and way ahead of their time. I always think positively when I hear the name DuPont because of that.
That's the point I was trying to make, When I say greed I was referring to the brass of the company. I'm sure a lot of people would love to work less then 40,50 hours a week.
Most positions don't pay benefits unless you work at least 40 hours.
I hate the talk that parents put things before their kids if they both work. That's nonsense. The reasons I work have little to do with buying things and that's true of most dual working couples. Most of us are working to provide a better life for our families. If we're lucky, there's enough left over for that plazma TV
Well, first off most do it not because they choose to but because the standard of living has been so lowered that there's no other way to support a family. Second, what is that "better life" you're describing other than providing more material pleasures? It certainly doesn't provide more family time and loving care, does it? Or perhaps I'm supposed to get all teary-eyed looking at poor infants dumped at day care?! That's exactly how fear of abandonment gets developed, btw. That's why we have such "wonderful" relationships later on in life.
That's the point I was trying to make, When I say greed I was referring to the brass of the company. I'm sure a lot of people would love to work less then 40,50 hours a week.
Most positions don't pay benefits unless you work at least 40 hours.
Gotcha and I agree. I just edited my post to point out that benefits are usually attached to full time jobs only. Though if we end up going to socialized medicine, that hurdle won't be there. Of course then we'll pay a chitload of taxes so we'll still have to work full time
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 01-01-2009 at 05:37 PM..
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so we'll still have to work full time 
