Working Parents Series: An Introduction

Parents who work outside the home face unique challenges, many of which take a super-hero-esque focus and balance. Here at MomVesting, we realize that when both parents work, life can become more than a little hectic, so we've devised a new series that will focus on the challenges presented by balancing two careers with kids and household necessities.

My Background

Before we jump into the new series, I'd like to take a moment and let you in on my experience with the working mom perspective. You may wonder how I can possibly have any insider knowledge of the ins and outs of the working parent conundrum. You know, since I'm not (yet!) a parent. So here it goes: my working parent experiences.

My mother raised my two siblings and me in an interesting way because we got to experience life with a single mother in college, with a working single mother, and with two working parents. During the different stages in my mother's life, I got to see the struggles that each family set faces, and I came to appreciate the difficulties that exist in every family structure. And I realized that even though the grass may seem greener in the other family sets, each one faces challenges and perks.

The Challenges and Perks in a Two Career Family

So while I may not have personally experienced the challenges of being a parent in a two career family yet, I do have perspective into the troubles and joys that exist in this family structure. And there are many! But first, let's start with the joys.

Obviously, one of the biggest perks that exist in a two-career family is the joy of having two incomes. Extra money helps in almost every situation, and when two well-paid career-driven individuals contribute earnings to the family pot, cash can be less scarce than in other family situations.

Unfortunately, there are negative aspects to the two-career family. When two parents have demanding careers, it may be difficult to balance kids' sick days, daily schedules and events. It may be more troublesome for either parent to ask for time off because, let's face it, when climbing the corporate ladder, many companies frown on employees who take time off of work to care for family, even if the employee handbook allows for family time.

There are many other issues that two-career families face, like problems finding time for homework help, cooking, cleaning, yard work, etc. Also, dividing these duties can become an issue between parents. Dual career parents may also find that their marriage gets put on the back burner. Simply, time can become precious when both parents are putting in mega-hours in each of their industries, and it's no surprise that some things slide.

Moving forward in our new series, we'll look at each of these issues in depth and offer up some solutions to common two-career family problems. We look forward to hearing your own solutions to working family issues!

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