If you have primary school kids: do you work full or part time

[Bouliegirl]

Before DS was at school, and when he was in P1 (ie during lockdown hell) both DH and I worked 4 days a week. We both work full time now: although DH has the entire summer holiday off.

After about 3 years of working full time again; I’m exhausted. I have a chronic illness, and my work are very flexible and supportive. But my gosh, I’m struggling to work full time.

I’m considering cutting my hours to 4 days a week; but part of me worries that I’m just being lazy.

Do most parents of primary aged kids work full time these days?

Both FT here but only because we have good flexibility and our kids are older - eldest off to secondary this Sept. We also lived right beside primary school so they could walk together unsupervised quite early on. We also had good wraparound care availability.

Single parent, work full time, no help, don't have a choice 😂 if I could cut down my days or hours then I would of course but it's not an option financially. If you can afford it then go for it it all depends on your circumstances

"but part of me worries that I’m just being lazy"
This comment makes me so angry. Only on Mumsnet can you be made to feel like this. Before I hd my children I had no intention of working until they were through Primary school. A few worked very part time when finances were tight.
I very much in the camp that believes young children need their mum in the early years. My mum was always there for me and I'll always be thankful of that. These years are extremely precious and if you need more time with your children it is absolutely nothing to do with anyone else. Good luck.

We both work full time. DS about to start year 1. Both of us are exhausted but we don't really have any choice. No cleaner. No support network. Getting through the day to day. DS possible SN but still in the long process of finding out. Just accepting this is life for now. Doesn't mean it is forever.

I work full time in a shift work job. There are pros and cons. Part-time isn't really and option, I only know one co-worker who does, and it was only agreed because they need the staff, they would have left otherwise.

I, too, have a chronic illness, so it's tough sometimes. It impacts my life outside of work as I have to prioritise my job, so sometimes my days off are spent just recuperating and doing nothing else.
DH doesn't work as he is too unwell to work consistently. Fortunately, I earn well so I can support us all (but this is another thing that limits my choices).

If you are fortunate enough to have a choice to work PT, take it. Be careful not to leave yourself exposed to financial difficulty now or in the future though. Everyone needs a pension, and all too often women post on here about how they went PT when the kids were little, then their partner left them, and they're struggling financially.

FWIW, outside of my male dominated workplace, the vast majority of women I know with kids work PT, and their partners work FT.

2 children (7 and 6) and both work full-time. I do get holidays off but the term time is tough. I did work part-time but to become more senior had to go full time.

Part time. Suits us well, and I certainly give no thought at all to the concept of laziness.

At our school and in my circle generally, there's a real mixture of setups.

I am a single parent and did both. What worked best for me was working part-time spread over five days in school hours. I know how lucky I was to be able to do this. Yes, it has cost me in pension contributions, savings and equity in my house but it was 100% worth it (to me).

I have primary and high school age DCs. Worked FT until DD2 was born. Went back after mat leave in 2018 and did 3 days pw, when she started school I increased to 4 days on the proviso that I WFH one of those days if it's school holidays.

Since I had DD2 I have been diagnosed with a chronic illness (auto immune related) and DH has changed his job so is less flexible with a longer commute but much better paid, so a lot of the running around after DCs falls to me and my MIL.

I honestly don't know how I worked FT, and certainly don't consider anyone that doesn't as lazy. I think people find a way to work best around family life/heath/childcare and I consider myself lucky to be able to work PT.

I’ve worked part time (approx 16 hours) since the birth of our 1st child (now 17)…our 2nd is now 14. Work in a school as a TA so not brilliant pay but the holidays far outweigh this.
I still feel even in their teens my kids need me/us and so not prepared to go back working full time until both late teens early twenties. I know I am in a fortunate position and not once do I take it for granted. It keeps me sane at the end of the day. Life admin, household chores, shopping etc. I don’t want to do all this on a weekend. I’ve never once thought I’m lazy (oh and walk the dog).
Yes, of course I would love more money and believe me there are sacrifices we’ve had to make but, when I’m older and the kids have flown, I know I did what was best for us as a family. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for your life choices.

After maternity leave I went back to work 3 days a week. I've never worked FT in 13 years. My salary has increased quite a bit though and I earn more than my dh who works FT.

It is hard, he is similar to yours by the sounds of things, needs a lot of adult input in the home to occupy himself. We also have no family childcare so most days my husband and I pass like ships in the night. The days he works early I work late and vice versa.

My standards have lowered dramatically over the years 😂 we have a gardener and a dog walker which helps a lot, very tempted to get a cleaner for the things we never get time to do but feel the house would need a deep clean first!!

Worked four days until my youngest was 3 and then went full-time.

DH is full time and I'm part time. I have a chronic illness as well and was full time before I had DC (with a lengthy commute) and then was made redundant and went back to work part time.

My illness has been significantly better since I was part time. We are fortunate that me working part time is feasible financially.

Both FT, 2 children in primary school. We can't afford not to work FT but also bit enjoy our jobs. Mine is completely flexible so I do majority of kids school run and clubs within the weekdays, my husband does any evening or weekend clubs. I have worked PT before and didn't enjoy it. But my circumstances or choices do not matter to what you do. You need to make your own way based on your family and your own health. You're not lazy.

I work from home most of the time as my workplace have made reasonable adjustments for me (in addition to this, I can also flex start/finish times and take breaks during the day where needed)

financially, it’s absolutely doable: just a slight downgrade from the lifestyle we could have had.

All bills would be paid and we could afford all necessities and we could still easily afford day to day living expenses and normal treats like the cinema, sports clubs for DS, a takeaway or going out for lunch.
It just means a bit less money to savings and pension/investments, no fancy holidays like a fortnight in Disneyland in Florida (but we would still be able to save a few hundred a month, and go for a one week holiday in Europe). but none of this is

Both full time and it works well for us. I grew up in a country where it was the norm and where kids (including me) did longer days. We didn't suffer from it so from a child's perspective (no SN nor health conditions I'll admit), it was fine.
As a parent here, I don't feel I'm struggling but we only have one child.

I currently do 30 hours across 5 days 8.30-2.30 so that I can do the school pick up and drop off.

I would not recommend it. I don't know why but I found working full time far less stressful. It just seems so full on all the time. I think I probably need to drop to 4 longer days and carve out a little down time.

Worked 3 days per week while DC were in nursery and early years of primary. Once they were both at primary I shuffled my hours to do school hours only (and wfh) so I could do the school runs. That worked really well for us.

They're now 8 & 10 and able to walk themselves to & from school. I've increased to 4 days per week but as I no longer have to do the school run the increase in hours hasn't been too painful. They can also entertain themselves at home for an hour once they get home while we both carry on working.

On the other hand they're at the age where extra curricular things are building up so lots of evenings are taken out with that. So right now I don't think I could manage to do any more than 4 days without burning out.

Single parent here.
Part time : I have one day off and finish early on another so I can do the school pick up. I do school run in the morning and start later (have a shorter lunch to compensate)
I wouldn't be able to do this without my mum doing the pick ups and kids dinner 3 x a week.
I can't work full time as she'd have the kids every day in the holidays (too much) and I can't afford wrap around.
My day off when they're in school is spent doing chores and life admin and a gym class.

Single parent, full time in nhs (40 hours), adhd. Am exhausted 99% of the time.

I took a lot of time off this August, around three weeks and only just starting to feel like I'm getting my head above water. I'm dreading the winter. I'm going to have to pick up extra shifts to keep the lights on so will be looking at closer to 50 hours a week, just when it gets busy and the weather turns even more crap

My youngest has just started primary school, so early days for us. I still work 3 days 22hrs and don't plan to change that. Kids come home with me while I work another couple of hours on those days. I don't think I will change that until youngest is maybe 8/9 I might go to 4 days but won't go full time again until Youngest is in high school.

There's too many holidays to cover and I don't want them going to childcare facilities nearly every day during the holidays. In your situation (summer hols are covered) then I would probably go up to 4 days.

I know some people that work full time and cld afford part time (this is the minority) but enjoy the extra cash, lots of social events, holidays, weekends away etc. Others I know that work full time, do it because they have to, to afford the bills etc.

In general most of the mums that I know that are part time it's because they can afford to be part time and the ones that are full time it's because both parents don't have great jobs that earn decent money so they both need to work full time.

If you can afford it then def go to 4 days.

Part time, 4 days a week school hours. Occasionally do extra in the evening/ weekends depending on how much I’ve got on.

Gave no thought whatsoever to whether that makes me lazy (I’m not) - it’s affordable for us and works for our family and allows me to be the one who picks her up from school every day which is important to me. I do plan to increase my hours when she’s a bit older but feel like I have a good balance at the moment.

I work 3.5 days and my dc are both at secondary school. I'm also term time.

On my days at home I do all the cleaning washing and shopping etc so my weekends are freed up a bit. We have a farm so plenty to do at weekends anyway!

After about 3 years of working full time again; I’m exhausted. I have a chronic illness, and my work are very flexible and supportive. But my gosh, I’m struggling to work full time.

Do most parents of primary aged kids work full time these days?

Most parents of Primary aged dc don't have a chronic illness. Why compare yourself to people in a different situation ?

However, from your most recent post, it would seem you (as a family) can easily afford for you to drop a day, so why on earth wouldn't you ?