Ways around this?

[Checshirtty]

So got 2 DC. Eldest 3y 1mo, youngest 1yo

returned to work phased when youngest was 9.5mo so had 2 days off and both kids in nursery 3 days. I loved having them 2 days all to myself. We don’t get much family help

as I was taking lots of leave accumulated. I have to up a day , financially I can do 4 days a week with not much dramatic wage change. We still want to earn a certain amount as we do need to up size our house so need to save for everything. And we have 2 in nursery so the costs of that are there for a while

i wish I could keep my 2 days off. To drop another day would make my earnings a lot less. I think we can manage with me dropping 1 day I’ve adjusted some things so it’s not a big hit etc

but I don’t know is compressed hours for 3 days a lot? Does anyone do this ? So 4 days of hours in 3?

any tip ideas please? I’m gutted about upping my days :(

Days would obviously be a lot longer. Will your company allow it? Would you have to factor in wrap around childcare expenses?
Other thing to think about is you may not see your children/spend any time with them for the 3 long days a week.

Average working day 7.5 hours. 30 hours over 3 days = 10 hours per day working not including your 30 min unpaid break (if structure is same as my company).

Could think about a 7 day condensed fortnight, maybe? 8.6 hours per day not including the lunch break. (Week one 3 days, week two 4 days).

Condensing hours just doesn't work for a lot of people. You end up not doing the work properly because you're worried about missing out on the kids, and you end up not parenting well because you're worried about fitting in the work, and on both counts you end up exhausted because of the extra-long days.

I'm assuming because you say "we" there is a partner, and the partner is the higher earner?
What about, instead of you condensing four days into three long ones, you both work four days? This way, there are still two days during the week off childcare (saving money), the kids have a day with each parent (good parenting), and you are both working the same hours and can have an equal division of household chores too. This also boosts your own pension contributions and career development.
If not four days each, you could do 3.5 and partner 4.5 days.

You could both also look at an adjustment of hours, or a shift in hours during the day. For example you could start work at 7.30/8am, finish at 3.30, pick up from childcare and have late afternoon/evening free, while partner does kids dressing and breakfast then childcare drop-off and starts work later, say working 10-6.

I would avoid at all costs working a very long day when you also have very young children, it's exhausting.