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Original poster

Which 3 days would you choose to work - 3 and 1 year old

38 replies

EleanorofCastile · 06/07/2019 20:31

I’m going back to work 3 days a week, and have to fill in the form for DC2’s nursery application now to reserve a place.

I need to work Wednesdays, the other days I can choose but they will need to be the same each week for nursery. If you have done this, which pattern do you think is best? Bearing in mind I found being at home with DC1 far more exhausting than being at work, and worked full time, but now she is getting older I’m finding it much easier and enjoying her company.

I’m also wondering about what is best/less disruptive for the children - nursery days in one block or spread out a bit?

OP posts:
Deadringer · 06/07/2019 20:33

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday, you get a long weekend every week. I think it's easier for the DC if they go in a block rather than spread out.

WifOfBif · 06/07/2019 20:34

I agree Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Chloe9 · 06/07/2019 20:35

Tues, weDs and thurs

Interested in this thread?

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1 year olds Childcare & nursery Families
Sweetooth92 · 06/07/2019 20:35

I’d also go Tuesday-Thursdays. Then you get a fair few bank holiday Mondays off (& aren’t paying childcare on those days when they’re closed!) and long weekends every week

Amicompletelyinsane · 06/07/2019 20:35

I enjoy working wed Thurs Fri. I can be busy in beginning of the week and then I'm in automatic work mode. If I worked the beginning I'd feel tired and do less on the days following. The weekend is always busy family time anyway.

OneNiceGreenLeaf · 06/07/2019 20:36

I love working Wednesday Thursday Friday. Get another weekend when everyone else is gearing up for Monday.

blackcat86 · 06/07/2019 20:36

I find that Monday, Wednesday, Thursday works well for me as I keep up with work info and DD needs the Tuesday break as she finds childcare quite tiring.

BobTheFishermansWife · 06/07/2019 20:36

I would do Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Especially if you're in an office, you'll find come Wednesday all the weekend talk has been caught up on and anything work related will be done and dusted and they will have forgotten to pass on to you/it'll be in an email you may not get to. That's my experience anyway.

AnotherEmma · 06/07/2019 20:39

I work Mon, Tue, Thu. I like only working 2 days in a row and then getting a day "off" (ha) with my toddler. Then just 1 more day at work before I get a 3 day weekend.

So if I were you and had to work Wednesdays, I would do Tue, Wed, Fri or maybe Mon, Wed, Thu.

Consider bank holidays - if you work Mondays and not Fridays, you'll sometimes get a 4 day weekend and only work 2 days that week. And if you don't work Mondays you'll get extra annual leave - pro rata - to make up for bank holidays.

trilbydoll · 06/07/2019 20:39

Depends on your job, if I did Tues-Thurs the amount of emails on Tues morning would be really depressing! I'd do Mon, Wed, Thurs. Still a long weekend Smile

Youngandfree · 06/07/2019 20:41

If I had a choice tues weds thurs

I’m a teacher and I do a 2 week rotation of
Week 1- mon, tues
Week2 - weds, thurs, Fri

trilbydoll · 06/07/2019 20:43

Bank Holidays - depends how good your HR dept are. We have the slightly bizarre policy that if you work that day, you get the bank holiday in full. Someone who worked Tues - Thurs just wouldn't see any benefit of most Bank Holidays!

Soola · 06/07/2019 20:44

When I wasn’t working part time I preferred Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

That way if we had a busy weekend I might be tired on the Monday and/or want to catch up around my home.

Having the Friday off was preferable as it made it easier for going away at weekends.

My reducing my hours was due to semi retirement though not having young children!

boomboom1234 · 06/07/2019 20:44

I have two same age as you and I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Makes it all much easier as they know where they are and I do!

Amicompletelyinsane · 06/07/2019 20:51

If you are booked into childcare on Mondays generally you would still pay even on a bank holiday. Like you still get paid but arent at work

happydays00 · 06/07/2019 20:53

I think it probably depends on the role and your office culture.

I'm freelance and my previous contract was Wednesday - Friday, I came into a depressing amount of work on a Wednesday (which was usually full of meetings and conference calls), played catch up all day Thursday, Friday was absolutely fine and then the whole rigmarole started again.

I have now changed to Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and whilst I find it a bit odd having the Tuesday "off" in between, I've found my workload much more manageable.

ComeOnGordon · 06/07/2019 20:56

After dc1 was born I went back to work weds, Thurs, fri but after a few months I had to ask if I could swap them to tues, weds, fri as I was exhausted working 3 days in a row and everything that was added on to my work days with having a kid at home. And I worked that for the next 7 years. Was perfect

GroggyLegs · 06/07/2019 20:57

Tue, wed, thu. No question.

I get my bank holidays back as annual leave, which works out an extra 5 days pro-rata (I do have to give 2 back depending how Christmas/boxing day fall).

IMO that's worth the email overload on a Tuesday!

Orangedaisy · 06/07/2019 20:59

I did m/w/f after Dd1 and now do t/w/t after DD2. The former was good as I never worked tomorrow so it meant I kept up both at home and at work but the downside was i never got a long break. Now I find both work and home very intense and never feel on top of either. I also hate 3 days where I barely see my DDs. Childcare wise it doesn’t seem to matter at all. I don’t work Monday now as I get more holiday doing that (bank holiday pro rata thing) and I need the holiday to cover dd1’s school holiday. So no definitive answer but some food for thought.

tmh88 · 06/07/2019 21:02

I do 3 days a week and I hate the days I do Monday, Wednesday & Friday. If I could choose I would do 3 block days. I always feel like it’s the weekend on Tuesdays and Thursdays and it’s a pain having to take annual leave for a long weekend!

Crunchymum · 06/07/2019 21:04

I went PT when my older 2 were 3 and 1.

Older child went into preschool and I had the choice of early week (mon, tues, weds morning) or late week (weds afternoon, thurs and Fri). Opted for late week so I worked Weds, Thurs, Fri.

Have since had DC3 and the older 2 are now FT in school so I've changed my days to Mon, Tues, Weds which is perfect!!

Racheyg · 06/07/2019 21:04

I work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Means I get bank holidays off so I'm available to look after dcs on these school days

LenoVentura · 06/07/2019 21:06

Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That way you're always off tomorrow, easier to manage kids sick days, get the benefit of bank holidays.

Devondoggydaycare · 06/07/2019 21:08

If you work on Mondays and Fridays, you are likely to find it far easier to get a nursery place, as everybody wants to take those days off for a long weekend.

PaquitaVariation · 06/07/2019 21:09

I used to work MWTh which was my favourite, but I’ve also done just about every other combination. MTTh works well too. I like not having to work more than two days in a row.

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