Part-time Work and Shared Parenting: An Option for Health Professionals

The author and his wife, both psychologists, have worked half time for the past six years, while each has spent half time at home with their two young daughters. Factors influencing the choice of part-time work are reviewed. It is concluded that this arrangement for shared parenting, while still rare, is one of many increasingly viable options for child care, and that it has many benefits for parents, children, and employers. People who enjoy some professional autonomy in their work, such as physicians, may be particularly suited to such arrangements.