My situation made it possible to scale down the hours that I worked, to three days a week, in order to spend some time with the new arrival in our family. Not only did this mean that I could spend quality time with my daughter, but it also meant that Lucy could have a break from looking after her, and take up some paid work too.

Again, we were fortunate in our circumstances. Lucy and I have worked for the same employer on two occasions which, although it hasn't always been straightforward, has meant perhaps added flexibility as they understand our situation well.

This was also a conscious decision, as we wanted to share more than our leisure time together. We see our marriage as a partnership, where we can share most things. We wanted our relationship with our daughter to be the same.

Working for the same employer has also meant it is far easier to bring our little girl into the office every now and again, and on our staff awaydays. She gets to understand what it is that Daddy or Mummy do when they leave the house in the morning for a meeting.

We are also keen that our daughter should grow up with as much contact with other adults as possible. We want to her experience the faults and strengths of other adults beside ourselves. Having contact with our workplaces is an important part of that, and helps to bridge the gap between home and work, giving what we consider to be a more balanced view of the world.

Inevitably there have been added problems which have come with scaling down our working hours. Financially, for example, we have had to make sacrifices, but we think that they're worth it.

Even though our situation is somewhat different from the norm, I would wholeheartedly recommend considering what you really want for you and your children and working from there. You'll be surprised what a little lateral thinking can do.