5 days or 4?

[SoulTrain]

I currently work 4 days a week, with a Wednesday off. My hours on those days are 8:30 or 09:00 to 17:00pm. I have the option to work 5 days but finish at 14:30 or 15:00 on those days, WWYD? I don't have school age children just yet just one DS. I wonder if I would feel more fulfilled having some time every day with him rather than just one full day?

Tbh I'd find part days a pita. You'd be paying for two extra journeys and you'd never have a day when you weren't working. I used to do a four hour day one day a week and always found it hard to get work done, organise meetings etc., and then adjust to being at home again. It's a personal thing though. I was only working 14 hours a week so I had a lot of time with DD already.

Well I'm thinking about a similar set up too. Work would prefer me to be available 5 days a week. It will cost extra in childcares, but will allow me to get home early - my husband works away during the week. I hope that when the children get to school age it will allow me to be around more in the evenings.

This is what my work were pushing for me to do and I pushed for full days.

However, I have a 40min car journey each way and know that I am not good at leaving on time! I also have 2 v young DC.

It depends on journey time etc but personally I would prefer the thought of having a day where work doesn't feature at all.

How long until your ds goes to school & would you get back in time to collect him if you took the shorter days?

My DS is only 17 months, so no school yet. We are hoping to have one more before he goes to school. Work is ten minutes in the car and the work is easy, wouldn't have to worry about it when I left either.

Now I'd prefer the four full days. At school age working school hours would be gold dust. I've done it and it is lovely to be able to pick them up, plus you do feel more connected to work stuff if you're in for some time each day.

What's your child care and would a 3pm pick up work? Also, would you end up paying for 5 full days nursery or childminder? In my present job DDs nursery would Charge a full day whenever I collected in the afternoon.

Tricky decision, good luck!

In that case I'd keep the four full days

Since I had the dcs I have done.

• 3 full days - 22.5hrs. 1 child, from around 7mo to 18mo.
• 1 full day (8 - 4, 30 mins lunch) and 3 shorter days (8 - 1) - 22.5hrs. Then cut the longer day till 2pm skipping lunch and worked till 1.30 other 3 days. 1 child, 18mo - 3y3m.
• 4 short days (8 - 1) - 20hrs. 2 children, 4.5y & 15mo onwards. Then changed to 9- 2 as I moved to a nearer office and traffic allowed me to drop Ds1 at school and get to work for 9.
• 25hrs, usually with a long day once a week and a day off, but core hours are only 4 week days with rest to be made to in office hours at some point, so sometimes I go in 5 shorter days. Holidays I flex time around. 2children, both primary age.

Different things have worked at different times. When they were small I valued the day off. Now I value being able to drop of and pick up at school.

I also had flexible childcare (my mum).

I'm extremely fortunate in that DS is looked after solely by three sets of GP's across the week, they are flexible in when they can have him. I think when he is at school I will be able to adjust my hours again to meet school hours. At the moment, I think the four full days seems to much for both of us. He is upset and cross when I come home and makes a big show of ignoring me before bursting into tears and refusing to be out down, we then get to my day off and have a lovely day but then have to start the process of again. All the GP's say he's asking for me after the lunchtime nap. .

I would have to work 2 full days to meet the business need having considered it further, but this means three shorter days with him which I think might suit him better.