Part-time what days are best? Advice please...

[pippylongstockings]

I work part-time 3 1/2 days a week (1/2 being a sat am) I currently work Mon/Wed/Fri and my 2 DS go to a CM on the Mon & Fri with my mum kindly having them on a Wed. However she is now having to step down her nanny/babysitting role due to it being too much really.

I find it a real struggle on the days the kids go to the CM to get everyone up ready and out the door by 7.50am and the the thought of this being the case 3 days a week is a scary one.

I keep on thinking that if I changed my days to tues/wed/thurs then it would be a frantic mid-week chunk but all done and dusted - plus the kids would the have 4 full days with me or DH - rather than every other day now.

It really didn't bother me when mum had them on a wed as they could still be in PJ's and were with family, but it seems harder now.

Any advice? Either thoughts on which days work best or how to make life less stressful?

I already do as much as I can the night before but it's more the logistics in the morning ie getting a 3yo & 1 yo to eat/get dressed in any level of urgency.

[IdrisTheDragon]

I work 3 days a week - Mon, Wed and Thur and find that works well for us. I haven't found that it seems to bother DS and DD about going to different places on different days - and I like only having to go to work for 2 days in a row.

DH and I share the dropping off and pickign up and generally he drops off and I pick up (I work 8-4 and he works from when he gets into work - about 10 - until he finishes - about 7 or so).

I think despite having to leave the house by about 6:15 I have the easier job in the morning . DS (4) is often not that compliant although DD (2) is pretty good.

Are you and your DH able to share the dropping off/picking up at all?

[iwouldgoouttonight]

I work 4 days a week Mon-Thurs but Monday is working from home and DP looks after DS so there isn't any rushing to get out of the house on Mondays. I personally prefer a big chunk of frantic rushing about on Tues-Thur and then having a long weekend to calm down a bit and spend time with DS.

On the other hand a friend of mine does similar days to you and she prefers having the Tue and Thurs in between to catch up on things between working. So I suppose its what works for you.

[pippylongstockings]

Unfortunatley we can't share the dropping off as my DH leaves at 7.30ish.
I get jealous that he can leave and drive to work while I'm normally with wet hair, still in my dressing gown & trying to stuff cherios down any passing mouths!
My DH does the picking up as he finishes earlier.

I like the idea of maybe doing wed/thur together then if I'm not working a sat I get a longer weekend.

I keep on thinking it will get easier... Does it ? It never seemed this hard when only had 1.

[BirdyArms]

I have worked 3 days mon-weds, recently gone up to 4 Mon-thurs. Sometimes i have to change my days round for work meetings and really hate it if I have then split up - find I don't switch off from work as much - but perhaps just what I've got used to.

Also like having Friday off as other friends with children who work part time tend to have Friday off too lots of people around to meet up with. I have also found it all a lot harder since having number 2!

[tiredandgrumpy]

I do Mon, Tues & Thurs. I like having the break midweek, and I think the kids do too. They get really shattered by the 2 days at nursery, so generally we take things easy on Wed for them to recover. I don't think i could face 3 days in a row.

Only suggestion I can think of for making life easier is to leave yourself as little to do in the morning as possible. Not only get ready the night before, but try to avoid giving them breakfast before you go - see if you can get nursery/CM to feed them. One less lot of clearing up, waiting around etc in those precious minutes before you disappear.

[bozza]

I have worked Tues-Thurs for the last 6 1/2 years (except for my maternity leave with DD). I find this works well. I have an extra day to ease back into the working week and tend to do cleaning and things on the Monday and an extra day to get prepared for the weekend.

I think your morning routine sounds like a problem. Do you have set hours? Could you start later and DH collect them? Our current routine is that I get up at 6.40 rush around showering, getting ready etc, DH gets up after me and gets himself ready. Then the children get up at 7, I dress/supervise 3yo DD and 6yo DS sorts himself, and DH gets my car out of the garage. Then I leave for work at 7.20 and DH gives the children breakfast and does teeth. Then they are ready to leave the house by 7.45 ish. I then do the pick up.

When the children were the same age as yours I used to do drop off and DH used to collect. And we used to dress the children after breakfast because they were much more messy. DD is actually a very tidy eater for a 3yo.

[Hulababy]

I habe done Tues to Thurs for about 5 years now and that works really well for me. I love the long weekend every week

[PippiCalzelunghe]

pippy till dec I used to work mon,tue,wed. I think the best way is to have the days all together. although it is a bit hard, like you say, it leaves you and them with lots of days to chill out. it's easier to concentrate on work on those days and on the kids on the others. I think it's kind of less confusing for them as well.
the only downside is that you'll be knackered on the first day at home and the house will probably be a tip.
what I found the hardest was the mad bit of getting ready everymorning and not late for work and the rushing back.

[coby]

I used to do Mon and Tues all day and Wed half day. It worked really well for me, I enjoyed going to work on a Monday morning - got a better vibe at work and since most new project started on a Monday, I wasn't spending my first few hours working out what the hell was going on. I enjoyed escaping on Weds noon when it had all gone pear shape and everyone was gettig humpy .

The only problem was that the half day was a PITA, I spend the whole morning trying to do a whole days work as job-share partner took half a day (min) to warm up.

I suppose what suits best depends on your job, but this suited me and mine best. Sorry, no decent advice on making things less stressful...I found things easier when I worked part time than I do now as a SAHM. Only thing I can think of that helped me was to get DDs breakfasted at nursery. I hated the idea at first, but quickly got used to it when I realised how much easier it made things for all of us - both DDs very slow eaters (esp when they know I am in a rush ).

[PippiCalzelunghe]

def breakfast there.

[cece]

I have worked 2 days for about 4 days now.

Initially did Thurs/Fri - quite liked this as felt like a breathe of fresh air when everyone else was on their knees due to working the whole week.

Then swapped to Mon/Tues - didn't like this due to getting that Sunday feelign on Sun afternoon.

Now do Weds/Thurs - more convenient for when my kids have an INSET day at school so now don't have to pay for childcare on these occasions. OK workwise.

However I do hate the getting them up and to the cm. Leave the house at 7.30 am.... Luckliy the cm gives them breakfast so just have to get them dressed...

[cece]

2 days for 4 years.

[jojosmaman]

I think it also depends on your job. I work three days (mon weds fri) and have done for about 7 months now since going back after mat leave. However, I would much prefer tues weds thurs but for my job I couldnt go four days solid out of the office as I know I'd have a pile of problems when I got in on a tuesday morn and only a few days to sort them out. I'd love fridays off but its one of my busiest most important days and although I could take it off, in reality it would only cause me more stress!

[Pollyanna]

I also work tues-thurs - I find it best to get it out of the way in one block.

Friday is quite a nice day to work though as it is a bit of a day off in our office.

[themoon66]

I've tried all combinations of part time over the years, finally settling on five days a week, but 9am to 2.30pm. This adds up to 27.5 days a week and fits in fab with school.

[LittleB]

I work mon-weds and love having the long weekends, its also great in the summer as we go off camping for the weekend as DH can finish at lunch time on a friday if he needs too. There are more other mums around on a friday too. I have to do dropping off and picking up, partly as dh is out the house 6.30-6 but also because he doesn't drive and dd (2.8) is a little young to go on the back of the motorbike. We leave the house at 8 and get back about 5.30-6ish. It is hectic in the mornings but I don't do her breakfast, try to get evrything ready the night before, and we always have quick meals on work evenings! I like being able to get the house clean and tidy on thursday and do the shopping ready for th weekend, prepare some nice meals etc. Thursday is our chore day and Friday is our fun day, swimming am, lunch with friends, storytime at the library in the afternoon, then the park if its nice. But I'll probably try and do something like themoon when dd starts school.

[pippylongstockings]

Thanks - for the advice it seems that I am trying to do too much in the am. Will defi have a chat to CM to see if she can do breakfast even if it is just for my 3yo as my 1 yo is a pretty quick eater.

I orginally picked mon/wed/fri as I was going back to do a job share of a managers position and these are key business days for my company.But I am now in a different role and I think they would be happy(ish) to swap my days. The days in a chunk seem to be a favorite from those who have replied (as much as working is a favorite for anyone!)

Little B I like the idea of a chore day on thurs and fun day fri. At the mo I feel I do too much of the chores and not enough fun...

[LittleB]

Its for dd too, although she likes her chores, always trying to join in with the cleaning - she'll soon learn that its not fun It works well for us anyway - and after working and chores we deserve our bit of fun and quality time!

[PippiCalzelunghe]

my DD is such a slow eater there's no way I'd have been able to do it without losing the plot.

I agree on the chore day on the thursd as you'd also rather stay in and take time and not rush everywhere as this will be the case for the days you work. I never planned it but it kind of went that way for us too.

The key though is to plan the evening meals for the days you work well otherwise it's really a running like headless chickens and eating at 10pm. My DD eats at CM her eveining meals too so that's another thing off my list.