No, I am not going to ask if you love one of your children more. I have already explained in successive posts that, rather than love, we should talk about preferences, empathy, closeness ... and that there are also different reasons to explain why there are favorite children. And today in the question of the week we want to know
Do you feel closer to any of your children?
We would love to know how you feel the relationship with your children, even if you do not have them yet or only have one child in the family, this is a question that is often thought of: how do you imagine that you will act? A difficult question, I know, because it is not about acts but about feelings, and until the case is hardly possible we can make predictions (or at least accurate predictions).
But we all have a more or less formed opinion about it before we become parents, and we can also talk about it once the family grows. Are there any favorite children?
Last week's question
A few days ago we asked you how you reconcile family life and work, and we have received several responses, among which are those of Alejandro who told us extensively about his situation, from which we extract these fragments:
I was one of the first first-time parents who could take the famous 15 days, which I negotiated with my company in some more. A couple before and after. I was on leave from December 2009 to September 2010 with my two children and my partner. Absolutely recommended experience for parenting and for the growth of the couple and the person. Telecommuting whenever I can, I manage my schedule within a few margins. I did not miss a single one of the chiquicientas thousand ultrasounds we did (two high-risk pregnancies), or visits to the gine, or a class of preparation for childbirth, nor a single day of early stimulation of the first two years of the children. I stopped traveling to give courses (I am a trainer in companies) outside Madrid. In return commitment, responsibility, flexibility and results. My company does not want or need more. The pink and enviable part ends here. I don't need to tell you that all this is not free, socially, personally, or financially. Prices ... consume all the savings of the years of non-paternity, give up the second line of the company and a nice card that said Director. When I was not a father, I was a Training Director and later R&D, today I am a consultant. The faces of my fellow men ... of "this is a Martian" ... the predictions, of "in a month you are back, you will stay as children ...", "you are a mother", in a cheerful and derogatory tone. The strange reactions of coworkers, blaming my fatherhood for their own needs and the decisions of their partners. My in-laws, for whom I am too modern ... etc. etc ... and of course I do not book "macho", "perpetuator of the capitalist system", etc.
Gochita also told us that
It is difficult to reconcile family and work life because schools have schedules that are difficult to adapt unless you take advantage of a reduction in working hours, which on the other hand is better to be able to spend more time with children, but economically it is not so good. If it were possible that the schools were open longer, in the end we would hardly be with our children and it would not be beneficial either. It would also have to break the barrier of businessmen or managers who are against the reductions, because surely many women cannot afford it for fear of losing their job. I am reduced by 1 hour a day and it shows in the salary, but it makes up for it by picking up my son in daycare every day.
As you can see, these are very interesting reflections, and we recommend that you also read the rest of our readers' responses, such as Esher's or Ainara's. Thanks to everyone for participating!
The new question of the week is now available. Remember that you have seven days to leave your comments on it, in the Answers section, so that they can be valued by the readers and let them know next week.
In Babies and more answers | Do you feel closer to any of your children?
