Return to work dilemma

[WigglyBraddins]

Hi there

I'm hoping I can get some advice from people who have gone back to work after their DC1s to help me with my dilemma!

DS1 is 9 months old and I return to work as a secondary school teacher in 1 months time (just before the Easter holidays). I have a new job from September at a school that's closer to home that's 4 days a week. I've asked my current school for 4 days a week for the summer term that I'm there and they have said that they need me full time from Easter to May half term and then I can be 4 days a week from May half term to the summer holidays. Each half term is 7 weeks long. The amount I'm paid for the 6 weeks of the summer holidays is determined by the amount I'm paid at the end of the summer term.

So when I do the income and childcare (really lovely nursery that I think DC1 wil thrive at) cost sums, I'm £1000 better off if I say "thank you, but no thank you, I'll come back full time for the whole of the summer term". But I don't know if DC1 would be happier if I went back full time for the 7 weeks to half term and then 4 days a week for the 7 weeks from half term to the summer holidays. So I don't know what to do.

Any experiences/advice would be really helpful.

Thank you :)

[MsDeerheart]

there is a good section for teachers called the staff room - and also on called going back to work which will have some useful threads for you - but I would say given how busy a job teaching is and how difficult it can when you go back to work getting whatever reduced hours you can will be very worth while

[WigglyBraddins]

Brilliant. Thank you MsDeerheart.

[Tolly81]

It's a really tough one. I've just returned to work part-time with a 9mo dd but my PT hours are 30/week so not that PT. I also work some normal shifts and some long days and weekends and nights which in some ways is better (as she gets to at least see her daddy when I'm not there) but in others is worse as I'm sometimes not there for bedtime or if she wakes I the night which are the times when she misses me the most. Would you be able to get back for your LO's bedtime? I think you need to think about how much you need the money. Going back to work is stressful and it feels horrid leaving your baby and it is nice that I get to have some time during the week with her. Equally, if the extra money would ease financial worries and you could really enjoy the summer hols as a result then it might be worth it? Rtw is a wrench PT or FT. In the longer term though your LO won't remember the relatively short time that you were FT. Also important to remember the extras on top (planning, marking etc), can tou put up with a few extra weeks of this eating into your evenings/weekends? What is dh's view?

[WigglyBraddins]

DH is lovely, says not to worry about the money, that DS will be fine in the long term whatever I decide to do & what's most important is that I'm as unstressed as I can be in the circumstances. I k ow that either way I have a grotty term to get through but that I'll look back on it and not really remember the grottiness. I don't want to kick myself at that point because we're a grand worse off than we would otherwise have been. Oh, decisions decisions!

[mummy2benji]

I think it depends purely on your financial circumstances - maybe you can sit down and do some serious budgeting and see if that £1000 is really necessary. Don't think about what you could spend it on! Just about coping without that bit extra on a monthly basis. I went back to work part-time after ds1 and I'm returning to work 3 days a week in September after my maternity break with dd2. Going back to work is hard emotionally! Whatever hours you do and however many days. Being parted from them is something you get used to - and ds1 thrived at creche - but it is tough initially. You might find that knowing you'll be dropping a day from the summer term onwards helps you emotionally. If you can afford to do 4 days rather than 5 I would always opt for that, but equally not all mums are able to have that choice and I am sure your ds will be just fine whatever you do.

[WigglyBraddins]

Some serious budgeting has been done and we can't afford to be without that £1000 so that makes the decision for us! Thank you all for your advice though :)

[Karoleann]

I'm currently at SAHM, but have worked in between having the children. I was going to say that I don't think one day less a week for just 7 weeks will make any difference at all. It will also be more difficult cutting the day down at nursery too.
You'll have a lovely long summer holiday off together too.