Juggling the demands of work and home is challenging at the best of times, impossible at others. We hope that dad's will use this section to share how it's been for them.

Please share your experiences with other dads by emailing: contributions@forparentsbyparents.co.uk.

Your views and comments

My wife is 15 weeks pregnant and I'm already stressing about work and how it's effecting us. I work a "48" hour week for a discounted groceries store more like "100" hours per week. although the money is good i am never at home to support my wife, and when i am at home my work is so demanding that i am no use to anyone emotionally or physically. I feel stuck and reading the previous post i will take the advice and search for something that fits around our life demands. and in 6 months i'll hopefully be less stressed and washed out than I am now. theres more to life than money, home is with your family not the house where you live

Peter

"I felt crap going to work when Paul was very little. My wife was exhausted and I knew the day ahead for her was going to be pretty dull, but I also knew I had to earn. I felt that everything seemed a priority and found it hard to know what was most important. The fact was everything was important!"

"Talk about juggling demands, I'm a single dad whose daughter is now 14. When she was younger I found hiring family help cost so much. We get along much better now that there's just the two of us. What suffers then, THE HOUSEWORK! I'm lucky, I work flexitime, which makes ALL the difference. Don't get me wrong I put in the hours but I can knock off at 3:45 and come back in after 8pm, after tea, after gardening, after all those sorts of things. Also I don't 'stress' about things anymore which helps too! Take time, think and choose the job to suit your lifestyle, not the other way round!"

If you would like some help or advice on any aspect of balancing the demands of work and home contact one of the organisations below.

Support Links

Working Families, formerly Parents At Work and New Ways to Work, is a campaigning charity which supports and gives a voice to working parents and carers, and helps employers create workplaces which encourage work-life balance for everyone.

They offer a range of factsheets covering issues such as maternity rights, flexible working, parental and emergency family leave, paternity leave plus an online forum and free legal helpline.

Working Families
1-3 Berry Street
London
EC1V OAA

Tel: 020 7253 7243
Fax: 020 7253 6253
Answerphone for free factsheets: 020 7490 2414
Legal helpline freephone 0800 013 0313

www.workingfamilies.org.uk

Recruitment Agencies

Equals One Recruitment

Equals One Recruitment is a company offering an innovative service to those wishing to work part time or operate flexible working arrangements. Amongst the many options available is free registration on a unique National Job Share Register, which is designed to help workers find a job share partner. Equals One's aim is to find workers an ideal working solution that closely matches their work-life balance needs.

www.equalsone.co.uk

Flexecutive

Flexecutive is the leading provider of flexible working advice and employment services to both individuals and organisations throughout the UK. Our web site provides detailed information on a comprehensive range of flexible work styles plus access to full time flexible, part-time and interim employment opportunities and a nation-wide jobshare partner matching facility. Our support services also keep you updated on all the latest news and services including relevant changes to employment legislation.

www.flexecutive.co.uk