To think there's nothing wrong with my attitude to work?

[Turnerandsmooch]

For a bit of background , the children in my DC class are quite comfortably well off - nice houses , nice cars and such like . Most are professionals in employment .

I have worked since the age of 15, granted not in a professional career , but in a job which requires some skills .

Anyway , at one of the children's party today and sitting with one of the parents I always get on with - he's nice in general but most of the conversation revolves around his work and his accomplishments .

We were talking about how hard it is to juggle working and home life , children's clubs etc.

The conversation turned to careers and he said he didn't understand why I didn't work longer hours . I was informed that he works long hours , his children are in childcare from 8 am until 6pm , five days per week and he doesn't see why everyone doesn't do this

I explained politely that whilst there is nothing wrong with wanting a career , it wasn't what I wanted . I said I would rather work less and have less materialistic items , but have more time with my children . Apparently this attitude is the problem with the UK

Granted , we live in an ok house (needs work ) , we don't have flashy cars or great careers , but my children have memories of me being home from work early , being at home when they are poorly etc.

Surely there is nothing wrong with this ? As there is nothing wrong with his career focused lifestyle .

I feel very very small and want to avoid him from now on

People who 'do' things all of the time - every spare minute off is on the family planner. And then brag about how busy they are and how much they do.

Is it not sometimes just nice to sit with the family and do nothing?

Ha ha ha! Wrong thread entirely!

I used to work with twats like that. The final straw came for me when I resigned and started only working my contracted hours (9-5) as opposed to the ridiculous (7-9) hours I'd been working previously (no overtime pay while on notice )

I was told I was a problem because I was only working contracted hours. I was wasting my life. Didn't I want to make something of myself.

My response - I wanted to get my life back. No point earning all the money in the world if I haven't got time to enjoy it.

My new work is much calmer. No one works past 5. No overtime is paid. We work hard during contracted hours. Then go home. Have a life. Then come back the next day. Much nicer.

No show ponies boasting about their million pound houses designer shoes etc. Sure some have them. But there's no boasting. No look at me look at me.

He's a twat. Ignore him.

How unbelievably rude!

Ignore him OP.

I mean, how outrageous of you to believe that you might actually want to spend some time looking after your own child!

(said as someone who has always worked full time - my choice, doesn't reflect at all on what's right for other families).

If you and your children are happy to spend more time together than have material wealth, then that is the right thing for you. My children are now older and I work more now because frankly, they now would very much like me to pay their school fees, go on long haul holidays, new gadgets, and eventually buy them cars etc.

When they were much younger I didn't work much at all, but kept my hand in so I could expand later. I wouldn't have worked more hours to miss all their precious moments for all the money in the world then.