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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

strange ways of working - your tales

5 replies

frgr · 28/09/2010 16:07

Was just discussing in another thread that my step father didn't "get" my H and my 3-days-each working pattern for childcare (grandparents on Wednesday) - bit of a dinosur re: women working after kids but that's another topic

I was just sitting here thinking that most couples I know only do the 1-breadwinner and 1 person SAH or parttime thing

what other unconventional ways of working have you seen/heard of, or are living with!

i actually think our 3 day (so 6 days of wages) is rather elegant, it means nan is kept in contact regularly, we collectively earn a decent wage, but we both get to grips with running the house with little ones around, and we get to be there for them growing up! of course that depends on being lucky to have a job/employer willing to say Yes to the 60% working arrangement.

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AliceWorld · 28/09/2010 20:01

I know of a 2.5:2.5 and a 3:4. And of course lots of 5:0 and 5:2 etc.

I was thinking only this morning how 3:3 sounded a good way

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ChippyMinton · 28/09/2010 20:10

DH does 5 days. He starts and finishes later so he can drop the DC at school. I do 2.5 days worth of hours but spread over 3 days, starting early but finishing at 2pm so I can collect from school. DH is considering dropping to 4 days, so he can 'have a day off'.

I have friends where one does permanent nights, the other works PT around the shifts so one of them is always around for the DC.

We all have flexible employers to make this possible though.

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howdidthishappenthen · 28/09/2010 20:16

DH and I run our own company. Nanny 2 days a week. The other three days he does the mornings, and I do the afternoons. Whole family have lunch together for an hour. We deliberately live where work is 5 mins from home in one direction, and DS1's nursery is 5 mins in the other direction. Flexible childcare and both working is VERY important to us. However, DH finds it v odd when he mentions to other fathers that he does half the childcare- it makes other men hyper-defensive about how they'd LOVE to do more childcare, if it wasn't for their terribly important and inflexible jobs...

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foreverastudent · 29/09/2010 00:08

I know families where one does days, the other nights. I think this is fairly common and avoids childcare costs.

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sunny2010 · 29/09/2010 08:01

I know full timers or one full timer/one 25/30hours whre one does days, ones does nights.

I know a few people who get to take their kids to work cleaners, childcarers, shop workers etc. I know both men and women that are in a position to be able to take their kids to work so that means they get to see them.

I dont know anyone that stays at home unless on benefits it isnt common here and is expected that both will work. My husbands job is long hours for 4 days but then on one day a week he stays at home whilst I am at work with our child and that gives him chance to do all the washing and ironing for the week to. The rest of the week I take her to my work with me and I work everyday. We do 70+ hours a week between us (him 45+ and me between 25 and 30 but one of us is with our child permanently which I think we are very lucky to be able to do.

Here most people are aiming to share childcare but still do it whilst working as staying at home is rare.

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