Creating A Shared Responsibility for Family Finances
Yes – Shared Care families share in the care of their children, but they also share in the responsibility of meeting their family’s financial needs. Below are a few quotes from Shared Care couples about this important topic.
These quotes also happen to come from families where one or both parents have moved into positions of leadership – leaders who are truly helping us create 21st century organizations. Enjoy.
Rob and Michelle – “When Michelle and I were expecting our first child I elected to leave public accounting and move to a position at a more family friendly company where I would have less pay but more flexibility. Michelle thrived in that industry, so at the time, that made the most sense for us. I was able to arrange my schedule to be able to pick our girls up from daycare every day by around 4. Michelle eventually went to a flexible schedule as well outside of her busy season and was able to be home with the girls during summer breaks.
In our 18 years of marriage we have been successful at “sharing the load” both at home and at work which has worked really well for our family. Both of us have a very good relationship with our teenage daughters and neither of us feels like we missed out with family or in our careers. We probably could have chosen a different path and made more money but the tradeoff has been worth it.”
Laura and Jim – “Our ability to flex our work schedules has allowed both of us to stay engaged in our careers AND our families. I have been able to be an involved mother and a full-time partner in my organization. While this has proven to be extremely rewarding, although at times challenging for me, Jim has found even more unexpected benefit. Jim grew up expecting to be less involved at home due to the pressures of maintaining the household financially. Because I participate in the family finances, Jim is able to participate in his family at a level beyond his expectations and play a meaningful, daily role in his children’s lives. Because of this, our children have a strong female AND male role model and our marriage feels very much like a partnership in every way possible.”
Chris and Nina – “The shared role has been essential to allowing me to put equitable focus on life and work priorities. It’s greatest value has been the opportunity to be engaged in each child’s life and be in the know. It also has allowed us to share the decision making and come to better decisions around our kids education and welfare. As the kids have grown into middle school age – it has shown the kids that Mom and Dad are aligned and are a team – each has value and each are able to fulfill their needs. I believe shared care provides better security and a sense of place for children. It also teaches them the life lesson of working hard but also seeking balance.”
Want to learn more about Shared Care or how to become an integrated leader? Here’s a link to the PDF we created that shows how parents can move ahead into positions of leadership while also sharing in the care of their children, we call these leaders ” Whole Life Leaders .” Take a look, we believe it’s a wonderful solution that creates a true partnership at home.