How many days are your kids at nursery?

[oakleaf21]

Im debating how many days I want to go back to work, I should go back FT as we need the money.
I wondered how many of you work ft or pt and how many days your little ones are in childcare?

[MrsBungle]

I work 3 days a week. My two kids are in nursery 2 days and my very kind mil has them one day a week.

I like my arrangement, I get to spend lots of time with the kids whilst keeping my career on track too.

[nextphase]

Work wouldn't let me reduce my hours, so my two are in 5 days a week.

[DorisShutt]

3 days a week; my work are brilliant and allow me to work from home the other two, and fit it around DS.

[FootOfOurStairs]

Mine are in childcare (a mix of nursery/preschool and cm) for 2.5 days a week. I've always striven to keep the balance of them having more days out than in per week iyswim. Unfortunately, as we need the money, this means I work weekends whild dh has the kids so we have little family time.

Depending on wage/hours, working more can mean more childcare costs and not necessarily more take home pay.

[RoadToTuapeka]

I went back to work full time in the UK when DS1 was 13 months old. DH and I were both working in local government and we negotiated flexible working so that we were each in the office full time hours (ie 36) but 4 days (compressed week), so that DS1 was at nursery 3 days a week and we each had a day with him. Nursery hours were 7.30am - 6.30pm but we aimed for about 8am drop off 6pm collect - some nurseries are not open so long and that can make drop off etc a nightmare - eg if a train is late etc.
The hours we negotiated with work were great as we kept two full time salaries, each had a day with DS1 and DH enjoyed being the main carer one day a week.

Both our workplaces were flexible in allowing us to work some hours from home, which made the drop off and pick up arrangements a bit easier to manage; we each also had evening meetings etc sometimes which meant we could carry that as time in lieu again lessening the actual hours in the office each week.

Not sure how flexible non local govt employers are with that kind of deal but it may be worth considering. I am now in NZ and the working week in local govt is 40 hours not 36 so there is no way we could do a compressed 4 day week but when I look for work after mat leave with DS2 we might see if we can do 9 day fortnights and alternate (eg) Fridays off. Could a 9 day fortnight work for you?

[RoadToTuapeka]

Oh sorry forgot to add the other benefit of the compressed week was only 3 days nursery fees. Had we had to pay 4 or 5 days nursery fees my going back to work would have been almost financially pointless and only worth doing to keep the career going!

[sameb]

Its difficult the differnce in working ft and paying ft childcare can make it pointless. Especially if you have more than one child. My 2 are going in 2 days a week.

[chanie44]

When we had ds, he was there full time, 5 days a week. Then I changed to a 9 day fortnight, so I had one day off every other week, but still had to pay for full time.

Since we had dd, they go two days a week. I work 4 long days and OH works part time and sometimes weekends. We had to rearrange things as we couldnt afford two lots of childcare.

[DuelingFanjo]

My son is in nursery four days and with my mum for one. I am lucky that the nursery is at my work.

[mumofone25]

My DD is at nursery 4 mornings a week. 7.45 till 1pm. I'm working part time for now but will be going full time in the near future.

[mumofone25]

My DD is at nursery 4 mornings a week. 7.45 till 1pm. I'm working part time for now but will be going full time in the near future.

[FloraFinching]

dd2 is in nursery 2.5 days per week
she is with PILs on another 2 afternoons per week

she seems to enjoy it, and mostly still chooses to go into nursery when I'm off work with dd1.

[StrawberryMojito]

DS is at nursery 3.5 days a week, my mum has him one afternoon a week and I don't work Fridays. I went back to work when DS was 10 months,it took him a while to settle but on the whole he's very happy there.

[MogTheForgetfulCat]

I work 3 days, 2 DC at school, DC3 is 2.6 and at nursery 2 days, with my mum 1 day.

[mikkii]

I work FT, DD2 does 2 full days a nursery (8.15 to 6), 1.5 days with DM, 0.5 with MIL, but she helps out if one of 3DC are ill, one ay with DH.

DH can also help out if sick (depending on shifts) and I can usually work from home in emergencies.

[Yika]

My DD, 2.11, has been at nursery full time, 5 days a week, since 5 months old (now just about to leave and start pre-school with similar hours). I work slightly shorter hours since she was born so drop off around 9:00-9:30 and pick up between 4 and 5.

I'm a lone parent with no family nearby so no choice but I'm happy enough, though I would like her to not go more than 4 days a week really.

[LegoCaltrops]

I work 24 hours a week. DH is a full time student, we don't have a car but do live within walking distance (2k) of my work/his college. We manage, barely, without childcare or any other help but it's damned hard. DD is 16 months old.

FWIW, being a full time student currently includes a lot of home study time. When he starts university next year we will have to put DD into nursery while I'm at work.

[musicalfamily]

I have done it all (4 kids) from zero to full time nursery and everything in between! (3 mornings, 5 mornings, 2 days, 3 days, full time, full time school hours!)

My best advice would be to try and keep the children into a stable routine, especially when they are young. Shorter days if possible is also a good thing because they get very tired when all day in childcare and end up going to bed very early (this is when they are very young) so you don't get to spend so much time with them otherwise.

If it is any consolation now that my children are older you really can't tell at all who has been in nursery how much.. so in a way in the big scheme of things whatever works for you and feels like a good balance will work out in the long term!!

[Queazy]

I'm not speaking from experience but planning on going back 4 days per week next year. I would have preferred 3 days a week, but I know my work will not approve this and tbh prob not achievable in my role. This will mean baby in childcare for 41-42 hrs per week, which makes me feel a bit guilty, but it's because of the commute. Friends say that the baby will be find and a number of friends have kiddies in full time childcare. I'm considering a childminder for the first year, just so they're not straight into a nursery environment but I know there are pros and cons to that too

[dontyouknow]

We both work FT. With DD we were lucky to both be able to work at home one day a week. We managed to arrange our work (going in early, working through lunch, doing some in the evening) so we weren't doing too much on the day at home. Sort of unofficial compressed hours! This meant 3 days at nursery and a day at home with each of us. I really liked the fact that she got to spend a day a week with her dad too.

We now have DS. DH has a new job and works Sat with a day off during the week. Not great as we only have one day together at the weekend, but it does mean that again we only need three days of nursery/after school club (I still work at home one day a week).

For us, three days nursery and one day at home with each of us was great. We were very lucky that we were able to each work at home one day and that we could arrange our work so we didn't have to spend all of our day at home working). I wouldn't have had a major problem with nursery 5 days a week if needed (other than the cost!) but am glad we haven't had to.

[noisytoys]

DD is in nursery 5 days a week 8-6. She started off with 2 days but we found she preferred full time nursery because she needs a routine and they allowed for that by doing the same thing at the same time every day. She is far more settled and happy now and me and DH both work full time.

[Xmasbaby11]

4.5 days. I do full time in 4.5 days at work, so the half day off gives me some time with DD and saves us some money. I would love to work part time if we could afford it.

[Xmasbaby11]

DD is very happy in nursery and I don't have any qualms about her being there full time in terms of her happiness or development. We don't have a choice anyway - no family willing to help and both need to work full time in jobs that can't be done at home.