Title: Happy Imbalance
Author： Associate Professor Takashi Tokuda, Division of Materials Science, Semiconductor Optical Devices and Semiconductor Biochips
I am raising two children (7 and 5 years old). However, our home is in Kyoto City. On weekdays, my wife takes care of the children from morning to night. Now that I am serving a two-year term as an academic researcher for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), my business trips are increasing, so if I am not careful, my communication with my children will rapidly decrease. So I am moving my working hours closer to the morning and trying to see the children at least at night. However, I still leave it to my wife to listen carefully to what the children say at school and kindergarten, to follow their development, and to deal with any problems.
It may sound cliché, but I try to spend as much time as possible with my kids on the weekends. Sometimes I cook, although I am not very good at it. Spending time with the kids without my wife makes me exhausted after a few hours, but it is a good way to refresh myself by forcibly interrupting my work. I'm sure it's a good refreshment. Then there is the "children naturally think that what their parents do, they can do too. I try to give my children a good stimulus to build their self-image by showing them that English is not special, by practicing my poor piano playing "happily" in front of them, or by showing them how hard I run at the district track meet.
...I was asked to write a column on work-life balance, but it turned out to be work-parenting balance. I am able to balance work and life, but in the midst of life, parenting is the hardest part of my work-life balance. I am grateful for my busy but happy days.
