- photo by Ben Barnhart
Finding Balance
Andrew Woodland, 39, and
Teri Woodland, 35
Children: Emily, 8, and Harry, 5
Andrew: college graduate; programmer
Teri: high school graduate; part-time hairstylist
Own home in Northampton, Mass.
$95,000 combined annual income
Andrew and Teri Woodland enjoy a comfortable life with a son, a daughter,
a dog, a cat, and their own Northampton home, but back in 1998 they
could easily have spiraled into severe new-baby stress. Soon after
the birth of their first child, Andrew went back to college to earn
a computer information systems degree while continuing to work full-time.
Teri, a hairstylist, returned to work 20 hours a week six weeks after
giving birth. Like most part-time employees, her short leave was unpaid;
she saved up for months to afford time with her newborn. The couple
rented out their bedrooms and slept in the basement to get through
financially.
During this time, the Woodlands also participated in the UMass Work
and Family Transitions Project. The study made Teri, now 35, and Andrew,
now 39, more aware of how their first child changed their relationship
and clarified their goals. “The questions were probing and personal,
and they particularly made us look at our gender biases and the division
of labor in our household,” says Teri. While it didn’t result in arguments,
it did lead to discussions, she adds tactfully.
Music-loving Northampton natives who met as children, the Woodlands
weathered the triple pressures of college, work, and a baby remarkably
well. “I realized that Andy and I needed to reconnect after Emily,”
Teri says. “We started going out more, we found our balance again,
and I could see, ‘Oh yeah, I really like him!’” The couple even became
good friends with their tenants.
The Woodlands’ family income has more than doubled since they signed
on to the WFTP study and Andrew earned his college degree. He went
to work as a business analyst and information systems specialist for
A.W. Hastings & Co., in Enfield, Connecticut, in 2000. “I looked
for a company that offered the benefits that were important to me.
I wanted the options of flexible scheduling and telecommuting,” he
says. “Hastings is a small company that shares my values and encourages
volunteerism. I love it.” Last year, Andrew served as volunteer coordinator
for a Habitat for Humanity house funded wholly by Hastings, and he
organized a benefit concert for the project.
Unlike the Woodlands, who have moved from working class to middle class,
most workers in her study don’t have the luxury of weighing family-friendly
benefits while job hunting, says Maureen Perry-Jenkins. She hopes that
research in her burgeoning field will encourage government and employers
to improve support to all families. “We’re seeing how work life and
family life are totally interrelated,” she says. “What’s good for parents
in the workplace is good for their children.”
