Working pattern advice as dc get older

[boltz]

I'm quite lucky to have flexibility with my working pattern & currently work 3 days a week AYR. My eldest well be off to secondary soon, should I switch to 4 days & TTO? I often read they need you more as they get older?

What does AYR and TTO mean?

All year round and term time only. If your workplace is flexible why not think about 4 days all year round and using parental leave rather than TTO to get more discretion about when you have time off.

Sorry!

AYR = all year round
TTO = term time only

@JackieCollinshasnoauthority not thought about parental leave. I have long service & get the max holiday so going TTO doesn't impact my salary that much.

I would stay three days and then strategically plan leave around holidays.

How much leave do you get?

TTO 39x 4 = 156
AYR x 52 = 156

So when would you use the Leave as you would be working the same number of days?

I'm not a parent (very sadly) but was a child of a workaholic and would have much rather had a nice balance all year and would have felt less pressure on the non-working days during the week when school was tough or I needed help during term time rather than during the holidays.

Ultimately it you know what will be best for you.

Fwiw I'm a teacher and have no choice I'd much rather have non school hols leave. And I only work four days!

I’m currently having this dilemma
I do 4 (short) days and all school hols off but no leave at other times
It’s been great to not have to think about arrangements for the kids in the holidays, but it’s full on.
Now they’re a big bigger I’m starting to think I’d prefer a shorter working week and I could manage to cover 3 days pw in school hols

I get 7.5 wks holiday

I do enjoy my days off at home during the weeks but don't use them much for holiday as DH works f/t & with the dc i'm tied to the school holidays.

I always use my leave during school holidays so thought it made sense to switch to TTO

Fwiw I'm a teacher and have no choice I'd much rather have non school hols leave. And I only work four days!

I'm support staff but once the dc are adults I'm going back to holidays during term time!

In that case 4 days term time only then you can take the 7.5x 3 days leave during term term (22.5 days) that's a day off every other

In fact you could go back 3.5 days term time only as there would be no need for annual leave. Depends how flexible they are going to be and what their need are and you role.

Sound brilliant from my view!

I don't think my kids need us more, but they do still need us and our presence is reassuring, so we like to be in not long after them. Even if they're in their bedrooms most of the time, we are still there whenever the next teenage crisis happens, or to keep a general eye on what's going on, or to help practically with anything.

It does get a bit easier as they get themselves home and let themselves in, so the time you need to be back is more flexible, rather than having to be at the school gate on the dot.

I don't think you need to be around in the day necessarily when they are in the school holidays, though again it is nice to be home earlier rather than later.