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Original poster

4 day week - split 'day off' in half?

12 replies

sarahb083 · 02/12/2021 13:26

Does anyone have experience splitting their day off in a 4 day week across two days? So working 3 full days and 2 half days.

I'm considering this so that my 12 month old would only have to do 1 full day in nursery and 2 half days, rather than 2 full days.

OP posts:
BleuJay · 02/12/2021 13:30

Personally I would have preferred my child to have two full days.

Half days are a pain as far as I’m concerned.

PiglingBlonde · 02/12/2021 13:30

I have done this and it actually works really well. I started with 3 full and 2 half days and then when the children both started school changed it to reduced hours so I can do the school run 3 days a week. It is slightly frustrating never having a whole day off without taking leave, but being able to do the school run regularly and be there for the children after school has been really valuable.

InTheLabyrinth · 02/12/2021 13:34

Will you be able to leave at lunch time 2 days a week, or will you get embroiled in stuff, and end up working nearly FT?
2 Half days are often more expensive than a full day in nursery. Can you afford it (and whose covering the other 2 days?)
You loose time/money commuting 5 days instead of 4.

It wouldnt work in my job, but I can imagine it could in other environments.

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Childcare & nursery Families
mistermagpie · 02/12/2021 13:37

My DH did this for a bit and found it annoying. A half day at work can be tricky (depending on your job) because it's difficult to schedule meetings or cut them short. A half day at nursery is also tricky because you are always bound by that, so it restricts your options for days out etc. he swapped to four full work days and one day off and it works much better. He is 'free' on his day off so he and the kids can do whatever classes or outings they like, or can just stay in their pyjamas etc. And on his work days he can concentrate fully on that.

JaninaDuszejko · 02/12/2021 13:37

I did something similar when my DC were all at school, I had two short days (leaving mid afternoon to pick up from school).

But for a child at nursery I'd always have them do full days, it's more practical. What time would you leave work and get to nursery? How would that correspond to when the nursery say their half day ends? You'll probably have to pick up before lunchtime at nursery (probably 12pm) to get the half day discount. Then you'd have to get home, do lunch then naptime and before you know it the day has gone. Better to have a full day off when you can do something fun together in the morning then they can nap in the early afternoon.

mynameiscalypso · 02/12/2021 13:41

I don't think there are any significant benefits to half days at nursery and they can be quite disruptive. Half days are also a pain from a work perspective.

BrieAndChilli · 02/12/2021 13:54

when they are preschool i think a whole day off is better - most classes etc are in the morning, they generally have a long nap in the afternoon so you would be picking up just to go home and hang around while they sleep, cant go further afield for a day out

when in school (and this is what i do now) i finish early (3pm ) twice a week to do the school run and DH finishes early once a week so youngest only has to go to afterschool club twice a week. ideally i would finish an hour or two earlier on my early finishes so i could pop to the shop etc before school pick up

Original poster
sarahb083 · 02/12/2021 14:06

@BleuJay thanks for your reply - why would you have preferred them to have two full days? It seems like a long time for a 12 month old to be in nursery, but I'm sure I'm clouded by PFB syndrome.

OP posts:
Original poster
sarahb083 · 02/12/2021 14:10

Thanks - seems like all day in nursery is more popular. I'd be working from home and the nursery is a 5 minute walk away, so commute isn't an issue.

Being at nursery for 10 hours just seems like so much for a 12 month old, and 5 hours seems much nicer for her.

OP posts:
HardbackWriter · 02/12/2021 14:15

But she'll lose having a full day at home with you. I also weighed this up because I don't like that my two DC have such long nursery days the two days a week they go, but ultimately I think it's worth it to have a full day a week at home with them. Having that day gives you so much more flexibility and freedom to do things and to have some really nice time with her than two afternoons will.

Original poster
sarahb083 · 03/12/2021 11:38

Thanks for the replies - any other experiences of people who have tried this? Or decided against it?

OP posts:
SydneyCarton · 03/12/2021 11:47

I used to do it - worked Mon to Wed all day, then mornings Thursday and Friday. My daughter was with my mother-in-law Thurs and Fri so no half days in nursery, but by the time I'd finished work, had some lunch and MiL had brought her back it was a scramble to really do anything for the rest of the day. After DC2 and DC3 I just took all of Thursday off, I found that much easier.

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