Like most of you, I have had to learn how to balance work and family. My wife and I have two young boys who are growing faster than weeds and I don’t want to miss a second of it!
As a farmer whose hours are roughly sun-up to sun-down plus a few night shifts during planting and harvest, fitting family time into my work schedule can be tricky.
Here are a few ways I make sure I get to spend time with the boys and my better half.
Rainy Days
I don’t always get to take weekends off, but oftentimes a good rain means we can’t be in the fields.
My wife is a nurse so her schedule isn’t your typical Monday-Friday, either. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to catch a good rain on her day off and get to spend the day together with our boys.
Tractor Time
Some of my fondest memories from my childhood happened in the cab of a tractor with my dad.
My oldest son can point out a tractor from a mile away (and mimic the engine sound, of course). He got his first tractor ride before he could walk! He enjoys it, so I let him ride with me and learn the ropes of farming whenever I can.
Stopping for Dinner
Like I mentioned before, a farmer’s work hours are from sun-up to sun-down. That means stopping for a meal doesn’t generally happen. Lunch is usually eaten out of a lunch pail as I drive through the field, but when my job allows, I try to stop for dinner with my family.
As the boys get older, I look forward to hearing about their day and making fond memories around the dinner table.
Before I know it, my boys will be heading off to school and learning to drive. The years will fly by, and I want to look back and cherish the time together with my wife when my boys were little and I could see the excitement on their face when Dad pulled up in the tractor.
It’s a balancing act and some days I do better than others – but you probably know all about that!