James's blog: Two new jobs

It's been a while since my last blog. Since then, and after a few years of searching for the right opportunity, I've started a new role in a smaller law firm.  So far, things seem to be going well, with a somewhat healthier balance between work and family life.

In September, my daughter started at kindergarten and I since seem to have acquired another job.  My wife and I decided from the outset that we wanted to take an active role in school life.  Partly this was because of our own experiences as school children.  Our parents volunteered at our respective primary schools when we were younger and so it seemed like the normal thing to do.  My sister is a teacher and so I know how much schools rely on parents for support and assistance.  Partly we simply want to show our daughter that, even though there are a number of new adults in her life helping with her development, we're still there in the background supporting her and taking an interest in what she's doing.

And so it was that I recently attended the AGM of the parents' association at my daughter's school.  My wife wanted one of us to attend the meeting and, because the school routine has proved much more disruptive to my wife's working patterns than mine, I suggested that I should go.  My wife's warning as I left for the meeting ("Whatever you do, don't go volunteering either of us for anything - we don't have any spare time!") was still ringing in my ears as I entered the school hall with seconds to spare before the meeting was due to start.  I was one of only two parents in the audience, the only other parents at the meeting beyond that being the chairperson of the parents' association and the secretary and treasurer.  It didn't seem like "not volunteering" was going to be an option.

Over the course of the meeting I heard about the wonderful work that a small group of parents have been doing and their fantastic achievements (their fundraising efforts over the past couple of years have helped to fund a mini-bus for the school).  Yet although there are about 200 children in my daughter's school, representing approximately 130 families, I was told that the parents' association meetings are always sparsely attended (and always attended by the same few), and that they struggle to find a small handful of volunteers for fundraising events. 

I can fully understand that working parents can sometimes find it difficult to attend/volunteer at these things, and for some the logistics are simply impossible, but for that to always be the case for so many really surprises me.  My daughter attends a private school and I was told that a number of parents think that, as they are paying for their child's education, they shouldn't have to contribute their time and efforts towards this kind of thing.

For me, the opposite is true.  My wife and I have had to make a number of sacrifices in order to afford to send our daughter to private school.  Added to this, I'm northern, and so want to be sure that I can see how the fees I pay are being put to use and that I'm getting good value for money!  The thought of not volunteering just didn't seem like an option to me.  In recent weeks, therefore, I've been nominated onto the parents' association committee, have been nominated as the class representative for my daughter's kindergarten class (I'm still not sure what this one entails!), and have been helping out with preparations for the forthcoming school Christmas fayre.

All of these things take up quite a bit of time, and I am by no means advocating that everyone should make such a big time commitment.  Indeed, in my old job there is no way that I would have had any time for these things. But if you can spare the odd hour here and there to attend parents' association meetings and volunteer for fundraising events I would plead with you to do so.  You'll meet some very dedicated parents who will quickly become good friends, will develop a closer relationship with your child's teachers, and be able to make a really positive contribution to school life.

James is a lawyer in the City.  He recently moved on from a Magic Circle firm, where he had spent eight years, in search of a better work/life balance.  He now works a four day week at a smaller City firm and looks after his 3-year old daughter on his "day off".