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

feel really sorry for the parents these days and all the juggling they have to do.

Some people do this out of choice though. I chose to continue to work full time so don't need anyone to feel sorry for me!

As a teacher, I would say it still very rare. Most primary children have one parent either part-time or doing compressed hours. Some have both parents doing that in order to be able to pick up their child from school once a week. The child is in after school club/childminder/with grandparents on the other days.

A very small minority have a nanny who does all drop offs and pick ups. This doesn't always mean both parents are working full time though.

Thinking back to the families in my DC's primary class, yes I think it's unusual. A sahp is also unusual. I knew loads of families where the dad worked full time and the mum did four days a week. Or some other part time arrangement

Both of us have always worked full time.

I was keen to continue to progress my career and going part time would have made that more challenging.

Thinking of DS friends and also my friends, the majority have one part time parent, including myself. I went back part time after ds1 was born, was going to increase when he went to secondary but then had ds2 and am still part time.

I think it really depends on the jobs women do and the wage they earn. Where I live it's a working class area, where many women work for mw. Most of them go part time or change to weekend or evening working to avoid childcare costs (i dont think we don't have funded childcare hours here).

But where work it's professional women who have spent time getting qualfications and working up the ladder. Most return ft after children

It’s def the norm in my circle. Thinking of my sons friends (primary) and nursery friends, nearly all have at least one parent part time. It’s mostly the mums but some dads too.

Most of my friends are full time.

I know several people who initially went back 4 days, but all found they were doing the same amount of work for 80% of the pay, and not taken seriously.

This London-based professional-wage types.

Short term cost of childcare is appalling, but the long term consequences of not having two good wages worse.

I don’t mean to be rude but are you all in families where there’s a decent salary?

We couldn’t afford for me to go back part-time. We managed by working opposite hours so DH was off 2 days per week and worked weekends.

I know of quite a few families with 0-4 kids where they both work FT. There’s no choice really financially and so there is some compression of hours / flexi working etc.

I think nowadays more people work FT than when my children were small.In my circle of friends (Mother's) no body worked FT .I consider myself lucky, feel really sorry for the parents these days and all the juggling they have to do.

Most parents I know work part time, however we’re not in the UK and its so normal for parents to be part time its more unusual if someone is fulltime.

I know very few friends or family who went back FT but then of my close friends, only one used a nursery as everyone else had family help with childcare. Not normal on MN, I know!

I was £10 a week richer working 4 days compared to 5 when I had my second (and was on about 50k 🤪)

Amongst my family and friends (and work colleagues), the norm was for both parents to work full time. Some careers don’t work well part time.

It was common when my two were at primary (now 19 and 17 so a while ago). My friend had a child minding business at the time and people were in a waiting list for spaces in the village with parents needing work hours cover (South East)

Most families I know has at least one parent PT, typically 3 or 4 days a week. I went back 4.5d compressed into 4, my husband does 5 compressed into 4.5. My toddler is in nursery 3 days and grandparents cover the remaining 0.5 day. It works well for us but they are longer days, meaning nursery days are 7.30-5.30.

I'm in the south east and would say 80% of parents both work full time, I also know of 8 couples in my friendship group where the women is the higher earner and the husband reduced hours (including my own DH)

Unless they have inherited, you simply can't afford a decent family home on one salary or even reduced salary.

In my circle it’s really common for one parent to go part-time. It is more often the women, but not always. my firm is very flexible so plenty of men go part-time.

in conversations the prevailing reason is that we are all high earners. No household needs both incomes. Every household knows it is better off keeping up skills and contacts instead of leaving the workforce entirely.

I was really worried about doing it, but my firm is great because I get paid hourly, not a salary. So when I work over my planned hours, I get paid extra. Thus I avoid the trap of doing a full-time job on part-time wages. That works because I work on billable hours anyway.

Opposite here - think I only know of one set of friends where one of them went PT after having kids, and that's only because they're from a very wealthy family so didn't need to both work FT.
Everyone else I know, both parents work FT, though some compress hours (eg a 9 day fortnight)

The only person I know who went back part time was a mother of twins, and the main reason was childcare costs. She did 3 days a week. Until they got the "free" childcare hours.

Otherwise everyone went back at least 80%, some like me do condensed hours to have 1 day at home with the kids (and save in childcare costs).

I think now with the extension of the subsidised childcare hours to 9 months old, it will even be less common as more parents will be able to afford childcare.

Most parents I know, both work full time. When my oldest was born both me and DH did compressed, 5 in 4, but that was really tough and made for some long days

Ultimately tho it doesn't matter what others do - you have to do what's right for you. If you can afford it, and your role will support it, you can give it a go. It's OK to let your career take a back burner for a few years when your kids are v little

I did full time til 6pm on first child was difficult but no option for part time. Estate agents. Took some time out after second. Hard to get part time

Same here

Most of the people I know work full time or have compressed their full time hours into 4 days.

Hi there
i suppose everyone’s status is different.
I returned to work after 6 months maternity leave but had a network of support including grandparents and a husband who worked local. I returned full time and commuted 100 miles a day.
Now a single mum I still work full time, but at home and have my parents support for school pick ups.
Work life balance is very important to me and so whilst full time still, I am several level lower on the ladder to accommodate being a mum too.
There are opportunities to be self employed and work from home which allows the flexibility. Just depends on financial needs and status I suppose.
Good Luck in your pursuit.