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How to Make Time & Money Work For You
Ben, Father of 3 — Comfortable, but Not Free
Ben and I went to college together. He is married and has 3 young kids. He works full-time in real estate development. His wife works full-time in public relations. Ben and I connected the other day about fatherhood, work, family, and building a more balanced life.
Ben is in it right now. He knew it would be busy having three kids in a dual-career family, but he didn’t know it would be this crazy.
Ben’s concluded that American society — our workplaces, our school system, our lifestyles — are not built to accommodate dual-working parents with young children.
There’s too much stress and not enough time.
His sentiment is not for lack of planning. Ben moved across the country from San Francisco to be closer to family, and to be able to afford a nicer home. He and his wife recognized before having kids that coastal urban life was going to be too much — too fast-paced, with not enough balance. They rearranged their life ahead of having kids to make it more family-friendly.
Ben and his wife knew they couldn’t have it all, and in our conversation, Ben wasn’t complaining. He recognized his privilege — that millions of new parents have it much worse than he does. He feels grateful for his…