am thinking ahead to September

dd2 will start school and atm I do T/W/Th

I have MIL to do the school run so do not have to juggle that

BUT am thinking that I like collecting from school for 2 days and I can keep on top of the house loll about

BUT the extra money would be nice

what did you, will you do, should I do?

thanks

I am still a SAHM but I would keep one day as a comprimise. You will have a bit more money but not lose that free day. Keep Friday off because of BH mons.

I also work 3 days - Mon, Wed, Thurs and did briefly consider increasing the hours when DDs started school but I decided against it. They love me to pick them up twice a week and it also gives me a chance to sort things out at home, keeping our weekends a bit free-er. Unless you're desperate for the extra cash I would stay as you are, I think 3 days work is ideal, a lovely balance.

Three days is good for me too. We have very little outside help so if one of them is ill its still a problem if they can't go to school and we are both at work. It also makes school holiday club/care that bit cheaper too, and it also means that you can keep on top of things a bit easier. I wouldn't change it - unless something happened which made it impossible to only work three days. Plus I like the picking up/dropping off, it makes me feel like a "proper" mum - and it also gives me days off to go on school trips with them.

yes I am thinking that way

but I get paid quite well and it would be an extra day [£ signs in eyes]

they do like me collecting though, yes, and always ask if it is a mummy or grandma day and pout if I say grandma

hmmmmm

I am in the same position - DD2 will start school in September. At the moment I am thinking that I will stay at 3 days (including a 2.30 finish one day). However I will proably be able to do some extra work at home if necessary.

I also think that if I ask my employer to go up to 4 or 5 days (I'm pretty sure they will say yes) there will be no going back. So I am going to leave it for a least 6 months and year and see how it goes from there. In the long term i will probably go up to 4 days but while they are young (6 and 4). I like to be there as much as possible.

Plus I would quite like sometime to do a couple of other things (I am thinking og doing some voluntary work at the school).

I would love the extra money however not having to pay for nursery will be a bonus anyway.

it is difficult isn't it? I think dh wants me to do more hours but I found that dd1 needed me more when she started school and liked me to be there

work have asked me once or twice and I keep saying ooooh not sure, will have to ask MIL

How flexible are your hours? I work the equivalent of 4 days, but start early and finish in time to collect each day.

I think collecting is really important and also good for keeping in touch with other mums and school life generally

Nah, carry on as you were. I've been working part time for 16 yes 16 years and still getting away with it.

I like being around after school, and having a day off to --sunbathe/drink wine in the garden with my mates-- clean

I increased tp 30 hours but am now going back down again as they are getting older I am finding I need more time again but it wasOK for a couple of years

I'm in a slightly different position because I started working 2 days, now 3 days a week since dd started school .... I find that 3 days is just right because I don't have any relatives living close and I like to have one six hour day free for me on Thursdays (I count it as my weekend) as our weekends are so full-on nowadays. It keeps me sane frankly.

I also use the time to get ahead with batch cooking and doing art projects for dd's school.

I sometimes have to do a few extra hours working from home on Saturday afternoons if I'm really stretched but generally find a 3-day on/2-day off working week suits me well. While dd is young anyway, will probably extend hours as she gets older ....

oh that's interesting Floaty? I've heard other mums say that. Do you mind me asking, is it to do with homework and activity clubs or more emotional support?

I think my dh would like me to do extra days and keeps teasing me by saying 'so what are you going to do with all your free time in Septemeber'. I think there is plenty of time in the future for the committment of full-time work.

Can you hold off your decision until say after Christmas and see how it's going. How flexible is your employer?

i do 18.5 hours over 3 days (so i suppose that's 2.5 days equivalent) starting early and finishing at 2pm so i pick up the DC every day. I'd say that's pretty much ideal at the moment.

Mostly emotional support,my eldest is now 14 and aboout to start his GCSEs and I just feel that this is an important time for him and I need to be less exhausted !But it is also the logistics my other two are 11 and 6 and homework ,activities etc ,music practice for me I just felt that i needed to be at home more .

In addition holiday cover is very difficult once they get over the age of 12 ,I don't necessariliy want the 14 year old to be at home on his own all the time (some of the time is fine)but he doesn't want to go to organised stuff or grandparents all the time either nad i am starting to find this with the 12 year old as well.We don't really like the su pair thing and also ds1 at 14 is qite shy and the idea od having a young girl around the house horrifies him,we don't really have space anyway.

thxs Floaty - all good stuff to know - makes total sense - am noting it down for future reference ...

- Sorry for digression everyone ...

bumping for OliveOil again ...

I am thinking of maybe doing two full days and two half days. That is if I still have a job. Thought you were emigrating soon oliveoil? In which case might be better to keep the two days free for organising all that.

I have always worked two days a week freelancing. When my second DS goes to school I plan to use this as an opportunity to retrain/learn new skills that I have been considering for years. This way, we would not be used to having any more money and I can still be flexible about pick up. Lets face it, the school holidays will be a nightmare if you get a full time job!

I have worked 18 hrs a week over 3 days since my first dc was born 12 yrs ago. I have no intention of doing more hours (unless finances require it). I work one weekend a month as extra shifts to my contract which nicely boosts my monthly take-home pay.

I find my kids still take up a lot of time with out of school activities, homework etc. We also go away most weekends (static caravan in the countryside) so I need those 2 days free in the week or else I would constantly be catching up with shopping, laundry, housework etc etc in the evenings.

I'm on a final salary pension scheme, so I guess I will eventually increase my hours but not for a few years yet.

Also, it was lovely to sunbathe in my garden all day whilst they were at school today (but don't tell anyone!)

no i stayed the same and go shoppin the other days

wtf would you wanna work 5 days if you dont have to???

i have done 2/3 days while dd2 was pre school.then she was at morning nursery for a yr

when she went to reception last yr i was doing two days wekk

the othet days are BLISS

i read the paper in silence.

i mooch around my house in silence and get jobs done super quick

i have on eday out shopping and gaining info for mn style threads

I did 13 hours over 2 days while dd was tiny and thought I might increase when she went to school. Dh started a new business and I needed to work extra so started doing 4 days. It was too much. I couldn't get everything done at home that I needed to, and didn't have time for things like exercise or meeting up with friends. I've also found that I am less organised, have less time to read dd's book or do her maths game with her, or just do things like go to the park after school. I am constantly checking my organised mum diary and finding I've forgotten something and my one day off a week gets filled up with things very quickly. Meal planning has gone out of the window and I'm forever sending dh to the shops to get things we've run out of. I'd like to help dh more with his business and can't, and want to set up my own little business too and just can't find time to do that either.

.... which reminds me, dd has no knickers in her drawer I'd better go and sort the laundry .

I've come to the conclusion that 2.5 days would be best for me, and as soon as dh starts bringing in a profit I'll be dropping back.

The older they get, the more important it is for you, and for them, that it is you there when they get home. This is so much more so as they move to secondary.
Also, there are a lot of things schools invite you too which you've be cut up about if you can't ever get to anything.
Also, as they get older, there is a lot more running them about to places, both in evenings and at weekends, so you need the time during the week when they are at school to get anything done, as you begin to find you spend all day Saturday at the side of the football pitch / dance hall / swimming pool / concert practice room / etc (delete as appropriate).
Also it is much easier to arrange shared lifts (to parties etc.), friends coming back for tea, people to help you out when you can't get them somewhere, etc., when you have got to know the other Mums. You'll never manage this if you don't pick up from school.
The only possibility is if you could arrange to do four days spread over 5 or similar, or some other flexi-working, so you can be there for them at home time.

No I didn't. Infact I have reduced my hours slightly to fit in wuth school hours.

Before DD started school:
- 3 full days a week, 8:30am to 4:30pm (commute an hour or so on top)

Since starting school I now do:
- 1 full day but with reduced lunch, so 8:30am to 4pm
- 2 shorter days with reduced lunch, 8:30am to 2:10pm
- same commute

I now get to do 2 out of 5 morning drops; Dh does the rest. I then do all the pick ups. DD only needs to go to after school club one day a week. rest of time I pick up on time, we have time for play dates, to do things after school, to fit in homework, etc.

As of September I am changing again to 2 full days a week. DD will do after school club one day a week andgo to a friend's house after school one day a week.

Gives me a bit more spare time as I currently use one of my free days helping at DD's school shich I would like to continue with, but need a spare day at home to catch up on things!

thank you for all these views, most intereresting

I think I will stay as I am for now as the consensus seems to be that 3 days is enough

dd1 likes me to go on school trips and that would be hard with only 1 day to juggle

my hours are 9-4, so I leave at 8 and get in at 5

bozza - yes we are emigrating but need to sell our house first, we may be gone before dd2 starts school [unlikely]

But olive even if it is after the extra time while DD is at school will be useful for all the tons of stuff you'll have to do.

I do not have a mil to do the school run.
I currently do 20 hours on ful day tue, ful day wed, 1/2 day thurs.
I will prob have to stretch it to 4 days, just to manage to do the 20 hours.
Plus I am often in work by 8.05
What with dropping ds off, I might be lucky ot make it for 10 am.
WATCHING THREAD WITH INTEREST.

I am considering changing from 4 days to 3 days when ds starts school. I also have no help with drop off and pick up so I am trying be able to do more of that myself or for dh to do it (difficult as his job is so variable in the hours required).

Ds's school has a brilliant after school club, which I will be utilising, especially for holidays, and maybe one or two ays a week - ds loves clubs and always begs to go, when we go on holiday.
But I want to drop him off and pick him up myself, most of the time. It is important to me.

I do 3 days a week and DS started reception last september - was constantly asked when I was going back full time.

I am sticking to 3 days, DS likes the after school club but likes me picking him up better so I want to do this for the other 2 days. It means I can blitz the house/ironing/ washing etc on Mondays and Fridays and the weekend is for fun things.

DS has had numerous bugs since starting school so its hard enough to juggle 3 days cover let alone 5 as either DH or I have to stay home if he's not well enough for school. Schools hols my SIL has him but its a long round trip which DH wouldnt fancy for 5 days so for us 3 days suits.

I have stuck with 3 days. Mine are now yr2 and yr4. If Grandma would like to do cubs/ballet/playdates then maybe go up to 4 days - otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.

'wtf would you wanna work 5 days if you dont have to???' - if you are interested in a career rather than a job, then often working 5 days is the norm. Not always, but in many areas of work. I have no issue with any one choosing to be a part timer if they want, just responding to the post. I'm sure there are many families where both parents don't need to work 5 days a week each. MyDH and I could survive on one income at a push, and easily on, say, 4 days a week each. But we are both at management level and wouldnt want to give that up to have time at home while the kids are in school.

i too like picking up from school,
lolling about
and need some time to myself.
plus there are times when they are sick

on the other hand when it is raining i really don't want to be at home - but that is another issue- come the sunshine i don't want to be at work

I did three full days when DS was tiny, then when he was starting school I gave up my job to see him settled at school.

I then got a temp job which was 10 hours a week, which was not enough for me, I love working.

Over the last two years the hours have gradually crept up.

I put DS on the school bus, take him off the school bus and somehow manage to do 32 hours.

No impact on him, major impact on the house, but I am happier working so I do.

No doubt, Desiderata will be along to tell me what a bad mother I am.

I am reducing my hours from ft when DTs start school in Sept, will work 0.8 over 5 days so I can take them everyday and pck them up prob 3 days