I couldn't finish reading the piece, honestly. While the guy starts with some good points, he goes and throws it all in the trash when he starts to complain about having to work more than 4 or 5 hours a day and his ability to just go and do whatever he feels like gets curtailed by real responsibility. Most people absolutely cannot afford that kind of lifestyle. While my Hubby is in a very good job (both financially and in how the company treats employees), he cannot expect to keep that job if he only worked 4 or 5 hours a day. He has also been in jobs where the company felt like they should be the reason for living (and way too damn many companies are like that instead of understanding that people have jobs to be able to afford the families they love) and life was absolutely miserable, so we are beyond lucky for him to be where he is now.
Like EM said, this guy obviously never had kids. Kids do need more than blatant, unstructured free time when not in school. If it were up to my kids, they would live on the computer, in front of the TV or the video games. I think they need some time to do what the want, but they also need other activities to help them grow as individuals. With the way many schools are these days, there aren't all that many places for that even in school, so it is up to the parents to give it to them at home. I won't schedule even most of their free time with activities because I like having my own free time and time with my Hubby, too. The thing this guy fails to get is that it is about finding a balance that is healthy and enriching all the way around. Like all things that need balance, that doesn't mean it is the same day in and day out. That balance is constantly shifting. Sure, there are times when it seems like things get crazy around here, but there are also times where we just don't have much, if anything, going on outside of school and work. Both are worth it in my book because we ALL enjoy the crazy busy and the chill time.