I used to work in the oilfield, which is hard on family life. I was single in those days, so those family obligations were not as crucial.

I got married late in life and a couple of kids. I’m very happy to have an occupation that allows me to spend time with them.

But our economy has many occupations that require mom and/or dad to be away from their kids. I think the solution is to ensure that the parents spend time with kids when they are off work — and not get sucked into some recreation that doesn’t involve the kids.

There are many well-adjusted offspring coming from oilfield families. It’s mostly a matter of setting priorities when an oilfield worker is at home.