To think you are lucky if....

[LemonSherbetFancies]

You are 2 working parents with well paid jobs and are also able to do the school pick ups everyday?

I would swap 'lucky' for 'fortunate'

@QwertyGirly

Some luck, some it's just career choice. Teachers who work full time will never be able to pick up their child from school (unless they work at the same school). Many people chose a career (and love their career) but it may involve shift work, or long hours therefore won't be able to do this.

Is it really a choice? yes it is in a way, as there is a choice factor in a career, but sometimes it's just that you might have an understanding employer who shows flexibility and allows start early/finish work early situation. That's luck, unless you say that everyone has an infinite choice with their jobs which is not the case.

I teach career development theory. We definitely acknowledge the role of chance and luck in career choices and progression.

Extremely fortunate.
I can work mainly weekends and DH is flexible working from home mon-fri.

The house is an absolute shit tip though, in the interests of demonstrating that there is always a compromise to be made.

@idontlikealdi

Not lucky, worked bloody hard to be in that position.

Yeah, and it's a literal fact that every positive outcome is directly proportional to work put in, no element is down to the luck of good genes, the luck of good upbringing / environment and more random luck, like happening to see a job advert for your dream job in a place you don't usually look.

When I got made redundant I decided to train as a childminder which allows me to be around for my kids in hols & do the school runs. I feel lucky and my kids are lucky that I can do this for them. It’s also a fab job I love my little people!

Me and DH are in managerial positions so we are able to choose how we work.

Part luck, part being organised, part choices.

Not everyone can afford to live in a suitable area near work, so you are luckier if you can - makes life easier when you remove the commuting time.

Another thing to think about is that many people who think 'I've worked really hard to get to the point where I can pick up my kids from work and have a good income' will say it's hard work, not luck that got them there.

Brain surgeons are hard working but unlikely to have a schedule flexible enough to pick up their kids from school. I don't believe for a minute that people who can't pick up their kids from school are not 'hard working'.

@MoChridhe DH is in a managerial position, Head Teacher at a primary school. He has been able to pick up the kids from their primary school twice ever. And I think he might have dropped them off once.

Being in a managerial position doesn't guarantee anything!

A lot of people here are praising their own decision making purely, forgetting the hand that fate deals many.

We are always able to do pick up, but don't earn amazingly. We earn enough to lead a lovely life, but not as much as many on here would class as 'well'.

Absolutely part luck and yes part planning for it but so many things could have not worked out for me (and haven't at times) that I fully recognise my fortune.

I'm not sure about well paid , we sre ok now but to get to this point there have been extremely lean times. I work full time from home and DP works away but in blocks so there is always someone to pick DC up.

We earn enough to live well but it was a conscious decision to retrain and sideways step to allow this but I absolutely 💯 recognise there has been 90% luck.

I have been on the other side where I couldn't and it was brutally hard. People who manage WOH and childcare have my utmost support and sympathy. I've been there and it was horrendously hard.

I think the comments about not recognising your own fortune are absolutely right. DP and I are a good reminder of that.

I am well educated and that provided me the ability to easily sidestep into retraining to WFH. I was lucky to be born into a family with reasonable amounts of money and a psychology of prioritising and accessing education. They could afford to send me to University. They could afford books and technology. This has paid off over and over again. I work very hard but I'm not naive enough to ignore that I was born into a family with enough money to educate me, with the right "face" and profile. I speak in a certain way which endears me to employers. I know that and I didn't work for that. Of course I worked and studied and have always applied myself.

That said , again I was fortunate enough to be taught how to study , how to think about opportunities. I didn't choose that. I got lucky. (Semi lucky...there was also a lot of psychological abuse , just not around that).

DP did not have that. He grew up poor and homeless for a lot of it. He has to work ten times harder than I do for the opportunities . I walk into professional meetings and culturally I am taken more seriously than DP.

Yes I have absolutely worked and planned for what I have but I am under no illusions. I know that if I were BAME this would have been much harder. If I had not had the access to education it would have been harder. If I had not been taught how to interview and present myself. I did not work for any of that. I recognise that got handed to me.

No - one can say luck didn't play a part. My DP included. He jumped many many barriers and worked his backside off. Ultimately though he is a white male. He did not choose that but he knows it opens doors.

All of that should not be the case but recognising your own luck is important. Not everyone is given the same start so to dismiss the placement of luck is putting those down who haven't recieved it.

I think there are still sacrifices eg I work 5 min from home so I am able to drop off to school in the morning, I could probably get a better paid job in the city near us but you are looking at a 1 hour commute meaning drop off not possible. older 2 are at secondary now but youngest goes to afterschool club twice a week, i finish early 2 day and DH 1 day

It's not pure luck in my case. I have chosen a specific role that enables me to do this. Whilst financially equal to other opportunities I dislike this role more. So yes I'm at the school gate every day or DH is. But it's a sacrifice