A few weeks ago, I wrote about the trend of trading dollars for a better lifestyle. I thought of this as an equal opportunity choice. Seems I was wrong. Apparently, I missed the big story. It seems men are actually looking to balance their work lives with their home lives. This trend even has a catchy new name, the Daddy Track. OK, so I guess we deserved that. And I am (no doubt to the delight of women attorneys everywhere) properly disgusted by this derogatory term. I've been for work-life balance since before it was cool. Like women accused of being on the "mommy track," I want to have my cake and eat it too. Or more to the point, I want to share my kid's birthday cake and a career too.
That's why I like the trend. Not only is it healthier for law firms and lawyers alike, it makes it easier for me to say goodbye to the office on Fridays-- for the whole weekend. As more attorneys demand this, it will become the culture for everyone. But to get there, it's going to have to be OK for men and women. Let's start with a name change. No more Mommy Track and no more Daddy Track. To me, it's more like the total package.
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