To choose to work school friendly hours?

Also, if you FT hours would genuinely be 9-5 with a 30 minute commute you’ll be home by 5:30 ish?

You’ll be around for your DC in the evening anyway.

I don’t agree with pp saying to work school hours on the basis that your kids are young.

You also have a DH who you say is an equal parent. I think the key point is how much, working as a team, you can be around for the DC. It doesn’t have to be you as their mother.

FWIW I’ve been part time since having DC1 and it has had a huge impact on me professionally and my sense of fulfilment at work.

The old trope that on their death bed no-one regrets not spending more time at work is too simplistic. Plenty of people regret not having achieved their potential professionally.

One other thought, being around after school in years 7-8 is also really important ime, the transition to secondary school is emotionally demanding.

I feel annoyed at myself contributing to the female 'pay gap' by taking the lower paying role and I love the idea of being able to afford a a bigger house and better holidays. However my kids are still only little (5&3) and I feel they will benefit from my time.

I think your first priority should be the kids you chose to create, not the sex you happened to be born into. Of course they’ll benefit from your time, and spending time with your children during the only childhoods they’ll ever have is more important than a bigger house and better holidays.

Are you reasonably happy with your current house? Do the kids have their own rooms currently? Do you have a garden? If yes and a bigger house is the main thing the money would buy, I’d be inclined to do the school friendly hours. But we choose to live in a 2 bed terrace so we have lots of leeway and more spare cash for trips, which I realise isn’t for everyone!

My DP does 30 hours and I’m full time, though I WFH a lot, start at 6am and am quite good at getting my work done. I absolutely love having no stress, lots of flexibility and quality time together! We’re due our first in October and it’s just the perfect set up, so chilled. Getting in late and tired everyday would be a real reduction in quality of life for me.

Have you spoken to your DH about it? What does he say?

I did school hours until they were around 13. Loved it. Now work f/t from home so still am around if needed. They are all becoming grown ups and it went so fast. I earn (and would always have earned less than you) and haven't regretted it
The thing about a full on full time job is that you are also knackered in the weekend so you miss out school stuff but also enjoying t weekend. And when do you do you stuff? Having that is so important as they get older. And you a a couple. Something has to give and you are surely have enough money to have a half decent life

I'd go with the school hours, they are so little and I think I'd rather look back on the time we spent together than the time we missed because I wasn't home until almost bedtime.

Do you need the extra money? How much extra would you spend on childcare?

Honestly I’d go time with kids, they grow so fast and money only gets you so much in life.

What is the job??

With the age of your kids I’d go for school hours for now.

I’d love to have a school hours job that paid that salary 😳😳

I’d take the full time role if the hours weren’t silly.

It’s a lot of extra money to lose. If you wanted someone at home for the kids your husband could literally give up work and you’d still be better off.

I think many women would love a school hours job which paid that much. I’d take it and run! Great pay and priceless time with your children. You can not get that time back. No one ever wished they spent more time at work in the evenings. Sounds like you have the best of both!

School hours they are tiny.

Is it WFH or is there a commute? If you go for FT what will you do for childcare?

Personally I would always choose school-hours when they are this little. It is a pleasure worth £££ to be there when they get home from school. When they are small and go to bed early, you miss a lot when you work FT. You have a lifetime to climb the greasy pole.

I too do a school hours job. Poor pay though. Your school hours job sounds like a dream to me!

I guess it depends what you value more: the money or the time! Don’t worry about contributing to the pay gap, it’s what’s right for you!

Do you like your job?

Can your DH currently do pick ups and drop offs if he’s working 30 hours? What’s your commute like?

£40k extra is a lot for what, 10 ish more hours a week? What difference would the money make - more clubs, another holiday, more days out, less stress, more ability to save up for DC uni days?

Have you worked out how much you'll get taxed on each?

I went for the school hours option and have never regretted it.

For me personally I would go for school hours, being a mum is more fulfilling for me than working. My kids are now late teens and I am still in a school hours job at a much lower wage. My quality of life is great and I am so pleased I did it - I will have no regrets on my deathbed.
It’s a personal decision- you may well feel much more fulfilled working full time.

When you said full time what are those hours and with what commute? Will you be expected to do evenings and weekends too? Also 40k difference is a huge amount, but after tax is the difference as big?