How did you balance that with your job? Do you have a normal "9-5" or "10-6" type job? I always wonder how people carve out time for stuff with family and such in the early evening on weeknights when normal leaving times + commute mean I likely wouldn't get home till 6:30 at the earliest.

I told each boss "I work with the Scouts. I camp one weekend a month, and will leave work early on that Friday. The day will come when there's a rush at work, and I really need to stay late and get something done instead. On that day, I will go camping with the Scouts."

Being upfront about it like that got me a lot of credit somehow. It was never a problem.

Also, when they were around 12, I was a partner in a consulting firm. So I could make my own hours. That definitely helped out during those years.

Thanks for the details. I'm fortunate to work in a place where this is largely not an issue. I work hard and often put in time at night and on the weekend because I'm Type A, so I don't worry when I need to take time off because I know I've put the time in and deliver results.

That said, I've definitely worked at companies that want to have their cake (in by 8:30 or 9) and eat it to (leave no earlier than 5:30-6 with expectations of frequent late nights and weekends with 2 weeks vacation). I've simply lost all tolerance for that, and always wonder how others manage it in stricter environments.

At my "generic" workplace, core hours are 9-4. Everyone is responsible for getting 8 hours in a day, so a lot of people take advantage of the spread by coming in at 7 and leaving at 4 (w/ hour lunch break).