To think it’s uncommon to both work full time with small kids?

Think it also depends how you define full time. I’ve got a number of friends on 35h per week ‘full time’ contracts but that wouldn’t be anywhere near FT contracted hours in other industries (obviously lots of people work beyond their contracted hours).

Lots of people work FT hours over 4days as well because it makes huge financial sense to pay 80% of your childcare bill.

I've always worked full time compressed into 4 days. My DH also moved to this pattern when our DS was 2.5 from memory and we could then have him with us 4 days, in nursery for 3.

I know a really mix of families but a lot both work full time or near full time. I think cost of living drives people to do this to pay the mortgage and bills.

Re: your career, it really depends what you do, but I think working 3 days or less will really impact your career. Meetings will happen without you, you naturally will contribute less. You will keep your toe in, but I think it dents your career prospects more than if you were to do 4 or 5 days per week.

Every family I know except 1, one parent works part time. There are few SAHM in our daughter classes, but the pay off for this seems to be that the Dads work very long hours and don't do any pick ups/drop offs/ school plays etc.

I returned on 3 days after my first, 2 days after my 2nd, now back up to 3.5 days as youngest is in school. For me my priority was for one of us to be there for drop offs and pick ups, school events and trips. DH does 3 drop offs, I do 2 drop off and 3 pick ups, MIL does 1 pick up and 1 day after school club. We had challenges conceiving both, and we were told youngest might not make it, so I decided that my career was no longer my priority.
We build our work around school times and their extracurriculars, we are lucky that we both have very supportive managers who appreciate our skills and knowledge and to keep up they give us flexibility.

I have 2 small children and all of my friends with children have gone back full time (albeit with either condensed hours or flexible working in most cases)

My husband and I have always worked full time and our kids are now 9 and 7.

I don't particularly recommend it.

all My friends work part time after children. At nursery, I think quite a few mums work full time. I work 3 days per week and husband works full time (2 days at home). I couldn’t work full time. There is too much going on. I have my child in full time nursery so I can get things done on my days off.

Me and DH are an absolute minority where we live. I'm PT and he does FT in 4 days, both in professional jobs. Most other parents we know are FT.

It's unusual to the extent that I feel a bit self conscious in social situations! All these Mums careers don't seem to have skipped a beat due to short mat leaves and back FT to amazing big jobs. Me less so!

This is pretty normal where I live. If you’re able to afford a decent standard of living with small kids in the UK whilst working less than full-time, you’re luckier than many.

It depends on your circle. I don't know any mums who went back full time after maternity leave. All well paid professionals with “career type jobs” (so not minimum wage or unskilled roles that you could pick up and drop up in future), but most of them do four days. I think most of them plan to keep the reduced hours (30ish a week) when the kids start school as well, just maybe spreading them over 5 days to make school runs easier.

Pretty much everyone in my circle went back full time. In the civil service though it's common where I work for both parents to do 9/10 so they get a day off every other week but get paid FT wages.

Mine are 13 and 8 and can’t think of anyone where both parents went back FT. Lots did when the littlest started school and most are now 4 days. Still don’t know many where both work FT.

I have 3 kids in primary school, so know loads of parents.
Very, very few work full time. Most work part time, but more don't work at all compared to working full time.

I went back full time after mat leave with both mine and I'm definitely in the minority. The vast majority of my friends of my friends who have kids are working part time. I'm very envious of them. 😞

PS schools will act as though there is always one stay at home parent, regardless of what you do.

I did part time in the evening after looking after DD all day. Shattering. I'd almost say I wouldn't recommend but it did seem the best of both worlds to me. Couple time took a serious back seat, and free time was basically nonexistent.

Oooh, be careful. You don’t want to fall into the default parent trap or put yourself in a situation where you can’t leave if things go awry/you are reliant on another person financially. Be very, very careful!

Tbh, most parents I know, at least one of them will do a four day week or compressed hours and that seems to work best.

After my first, I went back part time and ended up doing all of the housework, all of the parenting, hardly having any money and my relationship being in the shitter. The only thing that saved me was going back to full time employment. My partner and I both worked full time after our second child and it was pretty tough going - in terms of juggling schedules, paying childcare, keeping up socially/attending school events but this was still vastly preferable to the part time situation (I had greater access to money, it was easier to justify making him pull his weight at home and demand to be treated equally and respectfully. It has also meant that I haven’t fell victim to brain or career rot this time round!).

I think it's more normal for both parents to work full time now a days.

My children are now adults, I always worked full time, for two reasons. One, I wanted to have my own money at the time and
Two, I was in a final salary pension scheme and wanted to ensure I had a good pension in retirement. Working part time would have reduced that considerably.

Why does that make you feel an underachiever. You've chosen your career path they've chosen theirs

Most women I know socially are PT but most mothers at work (big 4 consulting) are FT. I imagine if I worked 4 days a week I’d have a sliver more flexibility but still end up working at least 40-50hrs for 80pc pay.

In my circles most people have tried to condense hours in some way but are still full time.

I don’t know anyone who went back part time, all full time. I went back full time after my first (5YO) and about to go back full time after my second. Wish I could drop a day or two but can’t afford it.

Amongst my friendship circle most parents (mum OR dad) worked part time when DC were very young but are back up to full time by upper primary. I only know one SAHM.
….. however I also know that at my DCs primary there are only 40 places in ASC and childminders are rarer than hens teeth so the vast vast majority of the 400 or so pupils are being picked up by a parent/grandparent.

We are both full time and so are our friendship group.

Almost all the parents I know work full time, with the exception of a couple of freelancers, but they're so busy that they must be doing close to 40 hours a week.

I always feel like the underachiever when we have mum drinks because I work for a charity and the rest of them are consultants, bankers, partners in law firms etc.