I’m currently pregnant and feeling down about that fact that I will have to return to work full time albeit I have had a 9 day fortnight agreed.
Well I suppose technically I don’t have to return full time. DH and I could stay in our current house which is a tiny 3 bed (70sqm) with only one parking space and not particularly nice neighbours.
We want to move and we want a proper family house and to be able to host the big family Christmas. We want space for toys (new house will have a playroom) and the ability to grow as DC get older (new house has an annexe which is perfect for teenage hangouts). We can only afford that with my full time wage.
Even if we stayed here, realistically I would probably still have to work 4 days because it would get to the point of us HAVING to move because this house is so small and at that point who knows if we would be priced out. And is 4 days 9-5 really worth the pay cut compared with a 9 day fortnight 8:30-5:30 on my full salary. I’ve thought about all these things and I’m confident moving now and moving once is the right choice for our family.
Except the daycare guilt. My own mum was a SAHM until I was 10 and even then she only went back to work as a part time teaching assistant so was around a lot. I went to a preschool but I never got passed from pillar to post in daycare. I don’t really know what that’s like but I always felt bad for those children when I was a child myself.
The current plan is we will be using funded hours 3 days a week, my mum will do 3 days every 4 weeks, as will MIL, and I will do the other 2 days not accounted for on my compressed non working day.
The thing is I KNOW that being in some kind of early years setting is good for children. It’s just I’ve just been to a childminder that made me feel depressed.