Wednesday, August 15th, 2007...9:06 pm
Run, Forrest, Run!
Yay for commentary debate!
Just to clarify, though, lest anyone think I am a heartless, cold bitch who hates children and wants them to have more memories of KinderCare than their moms and dads:
I don’t think that kids’ stuff isn’t important. I do think, though, that if you have a job where there are a lot of last-minute projects, and you always leave them for the single co-worker while you go take your kid to ballet, that you’re an asstard. I also think that your boss is an asstard for letting you get away with that shit and then a double asstard for assuming that the single person can just stay late and deal with his/her procrastinating ass. Because I guarantee you, he/she will be flouncing out the door at 5.
I agree that you should attempt to find a balance between work and home life - my point is just that single people have home lives too, and we should not be passengers on the guilt bus thinking that some kid doesn’t have their parent at the school play/ball game/chess club tournament.
I don’t think anyone should get canned for taking time off for their kids’ stuff, as long as their time off is governed by the same rules as their non-kid-having co-workers. It’s all about equality.
Further, I think that Dads should take an active role (so go DaddyHole) and be just as willing to take time off for their kids as Moms are. Actually, I thought I was pretty careful not to use gender-specific pronouns…even though I will admit that my first urge was to type them. However, that’s been my experience. There aren’t a lot of boys in my chosen profession, and the boys there are: (1) gay (2) going to law school soon or (3) both. The male attorneys I’ve worked with, by and large, have had stay-home wives, adult kids, or wives who had more flexible careers. The female attorneys were either running around taking care of kids, had grown kids, or were among the singles expected to be at the office all night and every weekend. And they have ALL been, at one time, crowned King or Queen Last Minute Emergency That Wouldn’t Have Been a Fucking Emergency Had You Actually Listened When Your Assistant Reminded You About the Shit 47 Times a Day for the Last Two Weeks.
What I was really trying to say, in other words, and without venting about my own personal job (and failing miserably) is that just telling the single person to ask for a raise and be “grateful” that s/he doesn’t have “two full-time jobs” is a bunch of horse puckey. Having been in the same situation - my advice would be “get out while there’s still time.”
My New Favorite Song: KT Tunstall - “Other Side of the World”
Today’s Time Waster: Warning - highly addictive. Much like everything I enjoy.
What I’m Craving: A good night’s sleep.
8 Comments
August 16th, 2007 at 1:05 am
I know, honey. I hope you didn’t think I was disagreeing with you per se, my intention was to highlight why these things happen. A worker shouldn’t have to take the brunt of poor management. Good management caters to families and the childfree.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Thanks toots, it IS a big goddam deal raising these nasty by-products of sex. I’m only eternally grateful that I have such a competent and sexy and wonderful copilot on this flight.
For the sex.
Heh, AND the raising part… I spose.
August 16th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I just resent people assuming their lives are of more value because they’re raising a child (or paying someone to do it, in most cases). I was told at work once that a scheduled day off that I had was later denied because a co-worker had a kid who was going to camp, and the co-worker decided to chaperone the kid’s field trip on that day, so I lost my day. That’s the kind of thing that makes me mad. Just like I chose NOT to have a kid, that co-worker chose TO have one, and I shouldn’t have to be punished because of my own choice. Maybe I should say my cat has ballet recital and that I need to take the day off for it.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:34 am
As a parent I think it’s irresponsible and rude to do shit like what Andria said to your co-worker. If you want to chaperone the snot-monkey then ask for the day off ahead of time! DUH!!! And quit making us breeders look bad by foisting work on your child free by choice co-workers.
Also: yesterday’s time waster? I so LOVE YOU for that link, I haven’t laughed that hard in a while. Thanks!
August 17th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I totally agree with you. In my work world, there’s an assumption that if you’re single you should go on launch (i.e., be away from home for MONTHS, if not close to a year at a time), because you don’t have a life. I think I have more of a life than most married people, actually.
August 17th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
and it’s always been my experience that even if you do cover for them one time on a child-related escapade, it never gets paid back.
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:02 pm
I read that OK was getting massive storms and flooding. Hope you and Lando are fine.
September 5th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
This hasn’t been an issue for me, thus far. On the occasions where I have had to stay home sick with the mighty Q, I am also working from home. Life is snazzy like that with a VPN connection, I guess.
Of course, I also working about 20 hours per week during my maternity leave (enough to keep all my work flowing). I was back at the office picking up work less than a week after Q was born.
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