My wife and I both work full-time. Summers are complex — we have to plan our kids' summer schedules 6 months in advance.

Sat, 07/20/2024 - 05:00

Two boys interact in a garden next to a table and chairs, and a woman in a yellow top and dungaree shorts, who smiles at them holding a coffee. — Pat Dooling said he and his wife amend their work schedules to accommodate their kids during the summer vacation.
Getty Images/AleksandarNakic

Pat Dooling left his finance career and started a company to spend more time with his kids.
He told Business Insider that summer vacations are tough for him and his wife, who works full-time.
Dooling said they plan their schedules months in advance, and then review them week by week.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Pat Dooling, a business owner in Boston. The following has been edited for length and clarity.