Which option would you choose?

[lillypilly7]

Hi, im trying to make a decision with regards to work hours and im totally torn.
For the last few years I've been a SAHP with my son who is now 5.
I've worked part time over weekend mornings and a few hours in the week, mostly at night when he's in bed...
My DH is home with him at weekends whilst I've been working ...
Now he's at school, after some recent leave I've been given a choice :

1. continue with weekend work with all the benefits of a higher weekend rate. But means working weekends!!!
2. or work Mon to Fri within school hours but without the higher rate of pay (basic pay)..

Im totally torn as option 1 means I don't get to spend a full day with my son anymore
Option 2 - I work more hours for much less money.

I don't know what to do.

I currently choose to work weekends.
It leaves me fully present before school and I can be fully present after school. Gives me time to prepare a meal and I'm not so tired and rushed that I am frazzled listening to dcs latest woes of what's happened at school that day and to offer advice on dds latest friendship dramas ( 2 teens).
After some general housework tasks I also have time just for me to actually be 'off'. I find it refreshing and feel it benefits the whole family.
Bring off work on weekends and working through the week had me feeling like I never had a day off to relax. I felt I must be always doing something or other as it was the weekend. It felt like something that essentially needed 'filling' and I never felt I had time to relax.
We still do things on weekends when I'm on holiday and can squeeze in a cinema trip occasionally if I finish early but I feel under less pressure. DH is off on a weekend so there's no reason your ds and DH can't do activities.
My working weekends benefits my family and if the pay was extra (mine isn't) then that's a real bonus.

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I'd stick to weekends, then you don't have childcare issues for the many many many weeks holiday they have over the course of a year.

I'd go for 2 if you can afford it.
Otherwise you have all your time off when everyone is at school/work. Option 2 means more time with your child and that would be important for me.

Option 2.

Option 2 gives you quality time with your husband and son at the weekends. Being able to spend time all together is worth more than the higher pay in my opinion.
And depending on what the work is, working five day instead of two presumably accrues you more annual leave, pension contributions, more career progression longer term.

Keep your weekends free op. You really don't get the time back with dc..

Option 2 if you can afford to

Assuming you can afford it, Option 2. Honestly, I find weekday mornings and afternoons rubbish time with my dc. It's stressful, we're rushing places, there's always somewhere to be. It's just not nice, quality time. Once they're a bit older, you start losing it to friends and activities anyway. The weekends are when we get quality downtime as a family. I really value my weekends and I wouldn't want to be rushing off to work two days a week and rushing off to school the other 5, unless I really had no choice. It would be worth it to me to figure out how to sort holiday care (which personally I haven't found tricky to do between dh and I and holiday club, even with no family support in all the years we've been doing it).

Thanks for all the reply's.
Option 2 is more favourable to me because I really want to spend my weekends with my DS and DH.
I've spent the past 5 or so years working weekend but having all the weekday time with my son...I've loved it.

The downside to option 2 is I won't get a day to myself. I'll be dropping off heading straight to work, work, pick up...plus a pay cut....
But I can always take some leave of a day here and there in the week and do it that way....

I’d have the family time of weekends off - but if it’s a very low rate can you start looking for a new job?

What will the actual hours be? Will you earn the same if you work Sat and Sun than if you do Mon-Fri?

You may get the weekends together but don't forget to factor in 13 weeks school holiday plus illness. It's very hard to cover this!!

I assume if you work weekends you still get pro-rated annual leave?

I know its a head versus heart choice as we'd all ideally like to have the weekends as family time but sometimes practicality has to take precedence. You'll save on any childcare costs as you'll be able to cover all the school holidays? And that's when you have your quality time.

@LimeCheesecake I do love the job, that's the thing. It's not terribly low but will be a pay cut without weekend rates.

@Crunchymum the hours in the week are 9.30am to 2.30
Weekends is 5am start , 7 hour shift
Sunday is a bit easier 8 to 1pm

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