Balancing Home and Work

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 653.

Text 7.

D. Dolly Masons

has worked in a chocolate factory for the past twenty years. ‘I was nearly sixteen when I joined,' she says. ‘My parents both worked here at the time, so it had become a kind of family tradition. My first job was as an assistant and I've since climbed the ladder to become customer relations manager.' Her present job involves a number of responsibilities, from performing taste tests for all chocolates to ensure their flavour is the same, to organising events for retired employees, including parties and excursions to the seaside. ‘I like to have variety in my job,' she says, ‘any comments from customers will be forwarded to me to deal with. Of course, I'll never meet them personally but they will all get a written response from me.' She admits that at the moment she is finding it difficult to concentrate on the degree course in marketing she started last year, but is confident she will finish it by June.

Here is one woman's story of balancing home and career. Rachel always dreamed of having a large family and an interesting career. She now has our children and works full-time.

I really have two full-time jobs. My job in the city is in investment bank­ing and I really like it. It's interesting and important. My other job is at home - raising four kids and keeping the household going. I like this job too, and though it's not always interesting, I know it's important. But when I'm not cleaning up the kitchen after a meal, or picking up the kids' things from the floor for the millionth time, or feeding the dog, then I'm falling asleep during my youngest daughter's piano practice. When I do have some free time, I've usually got a headache. The reality is that, most of the time, it's just too much.