I want to take childcare leave from around age two, and I want shorter working hours until sixth grade.

Yesterday was freezing cold.

Even though it was Monday afternoon, I was peeling vegetables diligently to make a piping hot stew.

My second son (5 years old) was complaining of boredom, so I invited him to the kitchen to cook together and had him peel carrots with a child-safe peeler.

The way he holds the carrots is always risky.
Every time he finishes peeling from top to bottom, I help him shift where he holds it or where he peels.
I can't take my eyes off him for a second, and it would be much easier if I did it myself.

If this were the evening, I wouldn't be able to help myself and would say, 'It's too dangerous, let Mommy do it' (laughs).

But I can wait patiently.

Because this 'kitchen time' is one of the ways we play together as parent and child.

I want childcare leave from age two

I returned to work after putting my eldest son in daycare at five months old and my second son at six months old.

This was because, for work-related reasons, it was better not to be away for more than a year, and I thought it would be better for both the children and me to get used to the 'daycare life' early on.

But now that my second son is almost in his final year of preschool, what I think is,
'I wish I had taken childcare leave when they were around two years old rather than when they were zero.'That is what I think.

Life with a zero-year-old is quite tough.
It's a cycle of breastfeeding, diaper changes, and naps.

Poop leaks while breastfeeding, and I have to switch to a frantic diaper change.
While I'm holding and soothing them, they start to nap.

I can't get them into their crib without the 'back switch' waking them up, and unsterilized bottles and unwashed undershirts are left sitting there indefinitely...

Before I knew it, I hadn't been outside even once today.
I spent the whole day in my pajamas, and when I realized it, it was already evening...
Is this kind of life okay?

I spent my days feeling stifled.

When I returned to work, being away from my children was incredibly lonely.
But while they were at daycare,
there were no unexpected poop leaks.
There were no interruptions to lunch prep because they cried when I thought they were asleep.

Honestly, I was even grateful that I could delegate a part of the 'breastfeeding, diaper change, nap' cycle that repeated many times a day.
The days just flew by with caretaking, without even a moment to think about what I should do with my children.

On the other hand, by the time they are around two, they can have conversations.

For a two-year-old, even just going to the neighborhood park is a big adventure.

Chasing pigeons.
Stacking stones endlessly.
Watching cars go by.
Trying to pull out weeds.
Playing catch with a soft ball.

For parents, things that seem trivial can be surprisingly fascinating.
It's a kind of curiosity you can't keep up with unless you have plenty of free time.

However,once they reach about two years old, they can start taking naps at set times.
During that time, you can do housework, read, or manage to have some time to yourself.

If you feel like you're not getting enough stimulation from being alone together every day, try incorporating baby swimming.

How about visiting a child-rearing support center once or twice a week?

Interacting with 'on-the-spot mom friends' you meet at such places is also fresh and fun.

What I mean to say is, unless you are someone who really loves caregiving,

Being alone with a zero-year-old is quite tough.
Being alone with a two-year-old is hard, but relatively enjoyable.

That's how I feel.

I want shorter working hours until sixth grade.

Nursery school hours: 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Elementary school: 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM (up to 7:00 PM if attending after-school care)

Huh?

Isn't it strange that despite this, many companies say 'shorter working hours are only until age three'?

Fortunately, my workplace is close by, so I don't have any particular trouble even if the elementary school gate opens at 8:00 AM.

However, I sometimes see children standing in front of the gate from around 7:20 AM.

I think it's because it's worrying to have children lock up the house by themselves.
Even so, waiting all alone is tough.

Even when school lets out, children who can go straight home have free time from around 3:00 PM.
They go to lessons, play freely in the park, or lounge around at home eating snacks...
On the other hand, 'children who go to after-school care every day' spend their time strictly following the 'rules of the after-school care society,' with set times for outdoor play, indoor play, and homework.

If you were to leave a child at nursery school until 8:00 PM, many schools would provide dinner.
However, in most cases, elementary school after-school care does not provide 'dinner'.
They provide snacks, but they are mostly just cheap sweets.

Even a slight change in a parent's working hours or location has a huge impact on life while raising children.

Things like children's homework, questions for school teachers, and checking and processing a mountain of 'notices'.

Handling spring, summer, and winter breaks.

The issue of what to do about middle school entrance exams?
The issue of what children do after school.

Parents of elementary school students should share the load as a couple
and adjust things like "starting work later" or "leaving work earlier."

The idea of "saving the best for last"

Writing this might make people think I really hate my job (lol).

I actually love my job.
Even though I hated it as a child, now, studying for work, striving for results more than anyone around me, and being recognized by society as an individual rather than just a "mother" is incredibly exciting.

But you know.

The period when children need their parents is probably about 10 years? If it's until they graduate middle school, maybe 15 years?
Even if you see them through to adulthood, it's 18 years.

We will likely have to keep working until we are 70 or 75.
So there is a very good chance that our "professional life will exceed 50 years."

In that span, wouldn't it be okay to spend 10 or 15 years feeling frustrated about "not being able to commit to work"?
Actually, I find myself feeling a bit conflicted, wondering if I shouldn't be savoring the "best parts of raising children" instead.

Isn't it also a valid lifestyle to "enjoy work to the fullest again once the children have left the nest"?

Yesterday, I chose to work from home due to the heavy snow warning.
I spent a slow day with my second son, watching the weather change from cloudy to rain to snow outside.

It made me realize once again, "Oh, I'm so grateful to be able to prioritize my child's safety like this. More than anything, a day spent with a five-year-old is so much fun."

Fortunately, I am in an environment where I can work at my own pace.

However, for many people, as long as they work as full-time employees, they have to work a strict 7 to 8 hours a day, and they may or may not be able to take their five days of paid leave per year.
There are also many cases where working shorter hours makes you feel like you don't quite fit in, right?

I want to say, isn't it time we stopped living in a world where this "company-first" way of life is the standard?

Especially on mornings like today when public transportation is disrupted ( ；∀；)!!!

Thank you for reading until the end.
I hope you have a safe day today as well.

※Last year, I helped an elderly person who fell the morning after a snowstorm and was bleeding from their face.
Please, everyone, be very careful.