In my travels for Microsoft I often get asked about work/home life balance. Having come from 20 years in the military, I really wanted to find a job where I could create a successful and satisfying balance. I think I’ve done that at Microsoft where I’ve spend my last 19 years and counting.
You must be an advocate for your family time to make it work. This article does a great job of exploring some of the considerations.
No one can advocate for the balance between work and your family better than you can. If you won’t fight for it, who will? Very few people in this world go into retirement wishing they’d spent more time at work. But many, many people do think that they coudda, shoudda spent more time with their family.
The Bis Key Chronicles 
This is such an important topic. If men and women both don’t insist, with their employers, on a professional life that recognizes the importance of family time, I don’t think we have a prayer.
Of course, we also have an employment system that only provides time off if you remain at the same company. That’s a huge problem – especially as for millions of us, leaving a company is not by choice.
Work-life balance and time with family is very complex in the US, but each individual realizing how important it is makes for a good start.
Your last paragraph is oh so true, Jim.
It would be good if we could all achieve that balance, but there are far too many people who have to work to live, but who don’t get any time to live. If that makes sense.
Is it a sense of porpoise that’s missing?
Ah that sense of porpoise come back to haunt us, doesn’t it Graham. :O)