This morning I read a story claiming that children are becoming ‘zombies’ due to ’10 hour days’ and working parents.
According to a survey conducted by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, schools are growing concerned that parents’ long working long hours and their increasing reliance on after school clubs is putting a strain on primary school children.
This also means children are spending less time at home with their parents.
Reports such as these imply that parents are not making their children a priority, which I believe is grossly unfair.
Most working parents would maintain that their children are their biggest priority, which is why they work such long hours- in order to support them and give them a better life.
The truth is ‘long days’ are a fact of life.
Both my parents worked long hours whilst I was growing up, but they did this so my siblings and I could live comfortable lives and do nice things together like go on family holidays. I’m certainly not short of happy, family childhood memories.
At primary school, we would be dropped off at a ‘breakfast club’ so that my hard-working parents could battle their way through the traffic and get to work on time.
After school we each had activities such as dance classes and various sports clubs and would often attend the after school club, otherwise we had a child minder or babysitter who would help out.
I’ll admit I missed my mum from time to time, and would sometimes get jealous of my friends who spent school holidays with their stay-at-home mums whilst I was sent to kids’ clubs or looked after by an au pair.
But I also loved having access to things that I knew my parents could only afford thanks to their successful careers. If both my parents hadn’t worked, we would have struggled. And I can only imagine what single parents go through.
I also learnt a lot from watching my parent’s devotion to their careers. My siblings and I have all grown up to become self-confessed workaholics and we know that in order to be successful and to live the lifestyle we’re accustomed to we must make sacrifices and work long hours.
The reality is that being a working parent is no longer a choice for many people. Raising a family in modern Britain means that parents have to work in order to make ends meet.
Parents should not have to feel guilty about working long hours if it means they are supporting their families and offering their children a better life.