Enjoying reading about people in this thread! I’ve been using SSIW for a while but only started reading the forum in the last few days.
I am an academic (a philosophy lecturer) and I work mostly at home or from another location that isn’t my place of employment - generally I only go into my place of employment when I’m teaching or for meetings. It’s a 1.5 hour drive away. I work full time and haven’t been in the same job since I left school. Since you asked, here is the full story:
I went straight to university after leaving school, then did degree after degree until I had a PhD, planning on becoming an academic. I did the usual sorts of jobs to support myself through that - waitressing, cleaning, office skivvying, and later on a bit of teaching and freelance editing work. By the time I finished my PhD, though, I was so fed up of studying and so full of self-doubt that I changed tack and went to work in IT. It was truly horrible - I met lovely people there, but the work itself was not my cup of tea at all, and I was completely rubbish at it. I stayed for 3.5 years, and in my spare time I worked on my academic CV (by writing and trying to publish articles in academic journals - that took a while) and also started writing novels (have written 3 and a bit since then, but yet to hit the big time). I left when I was offered a voluntary redundancy and spent 9 months out of work. Eventually I got a 3-year postdoc (i.e. a temporary academic post). Towards the end of that, I became pregnant. I had 2 children in a bit less than 2 years. I lost interest in work and planned just to be a full time mum indefinitely, but I was in an abusive relationship which led to us living on a council estate, claiming all possible benefits, and using all my spare time to update my academic CV so I could return to work. Eventually that happened. I now have a permanent academic job, a book contract, and no abusive partner 
That means I’m raising my kids with no financial or practical help from anyone, except the odd bit of babysitting. I juggle work and family life by having no hobbies or social life, unfortunately - or rather, my social life is comprised of faffing about on social media and going out for drinks/dinner when it’s part of a work event.
Incidentally, this story is a great advertisement for the welfare state. Had I not been able to live in a council flat on benefits when I was at my lowest, I would no doubt have gone ‘under’ with the children. But with that support I’m working and paying more in tax than the state ever paid me in benefits 
