To have two days a week to myself?

I wouldn’t, unless there were health reasons etc. Yes it’s full on when the DC are little, but with 2 parents it’s certainly do-able to work full time. But if you can afford it, why not. But think about longer term too, reduced pension / career prospects.

Anyone commenting negatively to you is most likely just jealous! I’m jealous!
I’ve recently gone down to 4 days as life admin was drowning me - and I find that one day off SO busy, I feel like I get nothing done and am still drowning, but at least I have that one day! Cleaning, chores, shopping, food prep, laundry, life admin, medical appointments, cats to the vet etc etc…

If your household can accommodate it, do it!

Don't feel guilty at all OP. I am also planning to keep my three day week when my child starts school in September. I would earn the exact same salary if I changed to school hours over a 5 day week. I think this works better for us, downtime is a bonus and I'll be free to spend at least two days a week with my child during all of the school holidays and inset days hopefully. Enjoy your days off, you deserve it!

My daughter is coming to the end of reception and I would say most of the mums I know either work part or flexibly working full time but doing school pick ups and working in the evenings to make up the hours.

I was working 4 days a week when my daughter started and it was good to have a day to get the shopping and washing done and keep on top of the housework so there's less to do at the weekend. I also put her in swimming on this day too. We were able to work it so that we only occasionally needed breakfast club but started with after school club until 5.45 4 days a week which turned out to be too much for my daughter. Thankfully my mum was able to pick up an after school one day a week which helped immensely.

I've since been made redundant and pregnant so on a career break and honestly no one batted an eye lid about me taking a break between jobs before announcing my pregnancy. Really don't over think things. There's a mix of stay at home parents, part time parents and full time parents but the most common is working 3-4 days a week

Do you have a partner? It's just you might find they start to do less and you maybejust as busy but with less money, pension etc. Also kids are sick all the time, schools want parents in school regularly for events plus there are teacher training days etc. You won't have that much more time.

It’s the dream surely? I went to 4 days at that point but it was financial imperative not because I actually wanted to. I work 5 days now and would definitely work 3 if a) I could afford to b) my employer would allow it.

Mine are up early at weekends to practise a sport one weekend morning. They usually lie in on the other.

You're lucky you have minimal involvement by way of having great transport links where you are.

NRTFT but just came on to say I am still working part time 0.6 fte and both my kids are now in secondary school with one about to finish! I really hope to stay that way until the youngest is 18 and finished A Levels at least - 5 more years to go 🤞

I started 22.5 hrs a week when my ds was 3. He's now 25 and I haven't had time to up my hours yet 🤣

I live in a city where they walk to and from school, music, activities in their own. And they sleep in at weekends!

Mine need ferried about the older they get. Complete opposite. Private driving practice from a parent with the eldest teen, next teen down needs lifts for this and that etc. Definitely not at a loose end here the older they get...

I fully intend to stay three days for the foreseeable! From August I will have Thursdays all to myself 9-3 and I can’t wait and then when DD2 starts school, three days a week! As I work a weekend day. I may switch to another weekday though.

Reality is you mean you'll have 2 days where you won't be at your paid job.

From experience within those 2 days there's every possibility that jobs/chores will come out of the woodwork, so to speak, and once you've taken your DC to school it'll be time to return and collect them before you know it.

Enjoy any free moments you do manage to get to yourself.

As long as all is even financially between you, I think it’s perfect. You can do the cleaning, shopping life admin and then after school/evenings and weekends are fully family time. As long as dh sees and appreciates that all is good

Most of us don’t have downtime really btw when children are small. But when the youngest is about 10 it all changes and it’s endless downtime (mine are teens or nearly teens and I have so much time I don’t know what to do with it)

Fantastic for a year or so. I wouldn’t think about doing it for longer, for pension reasons, partic if you’re only working term time. This is why women’s pensions are so much lower than men’s and they struggle in old age more

Can you afford it if your DH decides he would also like to only work three days a week? Doesn’t seem very fair that you have two days a week to yourself if he doesn’t also.

I don't have any kids and I'd love to work part time, I'd love to not work at all if I could 🤣
The only thing stopping me is not being able to afford it! So absolutely do this if you can afford it, mums work bloody hard.

It's fine if your DP is happy with it and it works for you financially

I did this OP and would definitely recommend it. As you say, the main reason was so that DC were in wraparound care for 3 days rather than 5 - and the two days to myself were a massive bonus!

:D

That's the exact inverse version of the kinda "suprised remarks" you're wondering about, you hypocrite!

It's very common to do this in my experience.

I consider it my dues after taking on most of the childcare responsibilities, and the personal financial/pension hit that being part time leads to.

I'm on 80% and on my day off i prioritise doing things that i wouldn't be able to do if DD was with me, which usually means a vigorous hike!