If you have primary aged children, how many days a week do you work?

[masm]

Trying to gauge what would work best.

DS(4) starts school this September. I am actually reducing my hours from three days a week to two. Just wondering what the sort of ‘norm’ is, not that there is a norm.

5

4 and a half.

I can't really imagine what I would do with three days off in the week

5 days full time

We have always worked full time/5 days. It's how it works in Scandinavian so we just carried on relocation to UK 20 years ago.

I agree, it’s not so much that I couldn’t imagine what to do, but primary school as a reason for 3 full days off just seems weird to me.

Everyone I know with primary aged children works full-time or school hours.

I worked 3. Lone parent.

It’s actually collapsed hours so to speak so I can do drop offs and pick ups. So I will be in work three days a week, but shorter days. For the other two days I have a younger child as well which is why I’m doing this that way but if it works well I will keep it as it is when she starts school too

I guess in terms of what I’ll do with two full days off … lol … all the things I haven’t been able to do since November 2020! In all seriousness I will spend some of it doing house and garden stuff but also be able to go to the gym, develop some interests and so on.

The thing with school hours is that unless you work at the same school as your child you will still need wraparound care. That’s not a bad thing, of course, but depending on where your school is and the traffic it can mean a lot of wraparound if you’re full time, which seems to be the consensus here.

3 — but I actually spread it out across 4 days, so I’m only working during school hours. So it’s 60% FTE across 4 days.

3 DC and I work 3 days. However youngest is disabled and we do therapies / appointments etc on my days off.

5 days, but 6 hours per day.

We don't actually need to do any pick ups or drop offs usually as they walk by themselves but it is useful sometimes to have the flexibility of slightly shorter days.

16 hrs over 3 days but looking for something for another 5 or so hrs a week

My drop off is at 8:30 and collection is at 3:15 — my work hours are 9:15 - 2:45.

DH and I both worked FT when dd was in primary school, but we both worked very flexibly so we didn't need to use any wraparound care.

Only 2, Monday and Tuesday (but long days). It’s lovely, I easily fill the time. I have a lie in and chill out day Wednesday, catching up on weekend papers, exercise, sort out house (we have a cleaner on a day I work but still because I’ve basically not been there for 2 days lots of things will need tidying and sorting). I play my instrument, walk the dog, batch cook, meet friends for coffee or lunch, go into town shopping, read. I always have a small house project on the horizon (like sort out a cupboard, not major DIY). I also love gardening but not very good at it.
Sometimes on Friday I am a bit bored so I am studying from April, a CPD module in my speciality. Friday I like to get everything really nice for the weekend, get some nice food in, sort the house out so it’s nice and relaxing for everyone.

That’s totally fair enough but most schools are more like 845-315 as an approximation.

I guess in terms of what I’ll do with two full days off … lol … all the things I haven’t been able to do since November 2020! In all seriousness I will spend some of it doing house and garden stuff but also be able to go to the gym, develop some interests and so on.

Which is fine, and your choice but it’s got nothing to do with your child being in school then.
I just don’t get the question being linked to school when you want to reduce your days to go to the gym or have hobbies.

DH and I both work FT. DS is in after school club and we pick him up around 5.30. I finish a bit early on a Friday so I can pick him up at 3.20

I do 21 hours but spread over school hours.

That sounds lovely @Punzel

I can’t wait to be honest 😂

I was only responding to posters wondering what I’d do with two days off

Single mum. I worked full time over 5 days.

As long as there is an after school club, it can work well.,

If you don’t want to do it, don’t. But don’t look for validation because plenty of people have to do it and it’s incredibly poor taste.

3 days. The remaining 2 I do an exercise class, housework, volunteer reading with children at the school. Batch cook for my working days. Also have a specific role in the PTA which takes up about half a day every half term. Husband works away on my days off and we didn't think our kids would manage well with 5 days of wraparound. Being there at 3.30 those two days enables me to take them to clubs, music lessons etc after school. Also means I have the opportunity to talk to the class teachers if needed which is difficult if your kids are in wraparound at both ends if the day, 5 days a week. I did think about upping hours a bit now the smallest child is in school but I wouldn't do any hours after 3pm on those days so I could still be there to pick them up. I also have a long term health condition which would be aggravated if I worked more days so on balance this works for us.