Working ft with secondary kids

[GeneralMusings]

So I'm going for a couple of job interviews this week. I'd love some help thinking this through.

I've always worked pt since having kids but mainly school hours. The job I really want is full time and only 1 day a week wfh. I think the hours are a bit flexible but I don't know how/when to ask if I could do 8-4 (8-4.30?).

Kids are 15 and 12 (going into yr 11 and yr 8)

The job is a 30min drive away on traffic but could be a bit more in bad traffic.

If I wfh one day a week and husband can be home early 1, day a week that leaves 3 days where they will be home until 5 or 5.30. Will that be okay?

I always wanted to have "someone home" but the nature of the jobs I'm applying for is they're not conducive to lots of wfh but wfh seems so common now.

My youngest likes being picked up from school and will have to cycle /bus but it is only 3 days. They can stay and work at school but I think that's til 5 and I don't think I'd get there on time.

Everything else - Husband is happy doing evening driving kids places and helps with cooking etc. He's v hands on and home himself around 5.30. He could take kids to school before he went.

Id need to leave 7.20 to get to work if I wanted to do 8-4. I'd adjust to that right? I currently go to work after dropping kids off.

If they say its 9-5 should I still go for it.

What point do you clarify that you can do 8-4. Presumably interview is all about me trying to show them my skills?

(and I'm getting anxious about interviews too. Probably peri and never used to be this anxious!)

Will it work?

Also should I ask for parental leave over daughters gcses?

I have an autistic Ds… I worked from home till he was year10…

I think he loved the freedom of it . Made him grow up a bit .

for his GCSE’s . I did alter my hours did start 9.30 or days a/l if it was my working day . Meant I didn’t overuse it . The exams ran over 5 weeks . I certainly wouldn’t be mentioning it at interviews stage

I know and move in similar circles to the OP. I can easily believe that none of their friends have both parents out of the house after school. Especially considering one of her dc has ASD. Parents of dc friends are a mixture of SHAP and WFH. I have worked from home long before covid, never have to leave the house for my work now and my work is flexible involving evening and weekend work as well as daytime so I tend to down tools from 4-6 and have a break/cook evening meal when the dc are back from school. Dh is more hybrid but is also often here.

I do though leave them either together or alone and have done since age 10, building up slowly over the years. It does help their independence. I am sure they will be fine getting home to an empty house a few days a week. I imagine by the time they are back it is probably only an hour until your dh is home anyway. In terms of GCSE parental leave (and all parents of dc under 18 are entitled to request unpaid parental leave, so why not take advantage if it is something which might help), maybe put the request in around November time. Perhaps dh can take a few weeks and you take a few weeks so it doesn't seem like such a big issue with your work.