Workplace Revolution?

So Clay used some of his precious off time (his first off days in 2012, mind you) a few weeks ago because I was working my 2nd of two full-time weeks I committed to my work. It was so cool to switch roles, me going to work full-time and him being 'Mr. Mom'. But it also got me thinking.
Wouldn't it be cool if neither of us had to work full-time? Wouldn't it be cool if our children knew both parents the same? But oh yeah, there's that whole medical insurance thing. We can't be responsible parents if we don't have insurance. Certainly our children's health should supersede being workplace mavericks. Right?

In an ideal world, I would wish us to work similar hours, maybe 8:30-3 with a half hour lunch. This way we could work as a team to get the children to school and then again as a team to provide a wholesome dinner and homework assistance. We'd each give our employer 30 in-office hours a week (if not more from home because of our work ethic) and to our children it would not be a luxury or treat to have more time with their daddy. You see, I'm only one person and value my husband's input tremendously. There have been so many times that I've been so frustrated with one child refusing to eat or another child refusing to sleep that I'm at my wit's end. The husband comes in from a long day of work and all it takes is one suggestion from a different perspective and boom. The situation is resolved and I am left wishing we could tag-team our way through parenting all the time. But isn't that the way it should be? It took a 50/50 effort to make them. Why should it be an 80/20, 70/30, or even a 60/40 effort in raising them? That, my friends, is a little screwy in my eyes.

You see, there is so much talk about the break down of family and marriage, but nothing in the lifestyle is done to alleviate family stress. Employees working in the midst of capitalism never balk at the demands of corporations because our society values the dollar more. More service to my employer means more workplace success; more workplace success means more more annual income; more annual income means an easier and less stressful existence, right? Don't get me wrong, I value a nice kitchen, a reliable car, and clothes that give me confidence. I'm simply saying we've lost grip on a healthy balance in life. 

Whether it is a family with two full-time working parents, one full-time working parent and one full-time homemaker, or a single parent juggling it all, it seems that parenting is a stressful situation and we are constantly driven to find a way to make ends meet.  Those that are willing to "sell their souls" by taking on the extra hours, projects, duties, etc.  are the ones that bring home the promotions and extra cash, but also the extra stress and extra fatigue.  I'm not finger pointing at anyone, I just want to know how much we are going to continue to take before we demand a workplace revolution.  Why don't we get more choices on hours?  Why don't we allow non-full-time people to have healthcare?  Why is it so crazy to think about two parents working part-time versus both full-time or one full-time and one no-time?   Would anyone else out there dream of this type of workplace existence or is it just me and my little family?  Just curious. . .

Am I crazy? We may not know for sure until April of 2015.

I have been through a roller coaster of emotions over the last four and half years.  Sometimes I'm indignant about my rants being justified and other times I look back and am thrilled my husband has stuck by my side (because God knows lots of men would have run for the hills).

Starting around September 2007 I've been all out crazy.  It started with work and boss woes.  I went through the ups and downs of job responsibilities changing and dealt with a performance improvement plan (PIP) that I completed successfully (sarcastic 'yay.'), but the entire time I was doing it I felt it was complete and utter bullshit.  Don't get me wrong, I learned a lot about politics and diplomacy in the corporate world during this process, but still how can a company redefine an entire department and its qualifications without a percentage of the people failing miserably?  So in April of 2008 when I was four months pregnant and my company was going through yet another down-sizing, my husband and I made the decision for me to take a severance package.  You see, I was at-risk of being laid-off with my history of a PIP and all and a voluntary departure would benefit us so much better than an involuntary situation.  It was an incredibly hard thing to go through; dealing with the emotions of pregnancy and the fear of unemployment.  I worked my last day during my sixth month of pregnancy.  Friends encouraged me to apply for work with this enormous belly hanging off the front of me telling me stories of different people they knew who'd gotten job offers at eight months pregnant, but I was a realist and knew that was improbable.   Regardless, I applied to jobs and got called for interviews.  There is likely NOTHING more humbling than walking into a job interview to see the realization on the faces of those doing the hiring that they'd wasted their time on me.  The eyes went straight to my stomach and then the forced smile and eye contact began.  I'd walk out every time with less confidence and pride as I'd walked in with.  Thus begins my life as a "kept woman" a.k.a. a SAHM a.k.a. mommy.  The timeline went like this: 

Whoah!

• January 2008 - Found out I was pregnant
• March 2008 - Chose to leave job I'd spent eight and a half years at
• June 2008 - Worked my last day at that company
• June-July 2008 - Applied and interviewed for jobs
• August 2008 - Ate bonbons and watched my stories
• September 2008 - Accepted God's blessing and became a mom.  Wow!

By the time our precious bundle arrived, Clay and I had decided I was going to stay home for at least a year.  Staying home one year would allow me to breastfeed for 12 months without having to pump at my place of work.  Fast forward one year and Clay and I had decided to expand our family one last time.  I had no loyalty established with an employer so this made the most sense to us.  We were incredibly fortunate and our little man came to be very easily.  I spent our tenth wedding anniversary pregnant instead of taking some exciting couples trip, but that was okay.  In June of 2010 we welcomed baby number two.  So if you think about it, when I weaned in August of 2010 I'd been pregnant or breast feeding for just under four years.  Now here it is February of 2012 and I'm more neurotic than ever.  So what's my excuse?  It certainly can't be hormones at this point. Or does it take three and three quarters years to undo this mess?  (Oh God, I hope not.)  If that's true then I should be good ol' Shelly by June 2015.  Wow.