How many hours did you work after going back from maternity leave?

[twoorthreeorfour]

My contract is changing to 3 days, 22.5 hours. I wondered what other people do. If you reduced your hours, at what point did you go full time again?

16 hours 2 days a week

10 months mat leave then full time with a 1.5hr commute each way

14 months (accrued/carried over holiday) back 4 days a week.

May go back to full time when dc2 is in school, haven't decided yet and it's a while off.

I didn’t want to put my DC in childcare until she could talk, so worked one day a week on weekends and then eventually went 4 days 24 hours. Pregnant again, and probs will do the same

I went back 3 days a week, so 3 x 7.5 hours =22 hours 30 minutes 22.5 a week.
i then added another day after 9 months so went to 30.
After about a year I decided I wanted to finish at 4 instead of 5 each day so I’m down to 26 hours a week now 😅

30 hours. Went back full time when DS was about 6.

Full time. No regrets as my career has soared.
And I definitely still got to see DS grow up despite the ridiculous comment made by a pp.

I went back on 0.71, which was 3 and a half days.

As a teacher the half day meant that I saw my job-share person to do a face to face handover for my class rather than relying on written notes etc.

Full time again when youngest (of 2) went to high school.

Not from what I hear from people who worked full time.

I get to spend more time with them. As they only in nursery/childminder two mornings. I want to enjoy them while they're little. As time goes way to fast. They are more important to me then upping my hours atm. @MidnightPatrol

3 days a week after DD and then 4 days a week after DS. Went back to full time when he went to primary.

I will say this as it happened to me and I so regretted it:

1. I wanted to work part time and spend time with the kids but in reality none of my work went away. I was just doing a full time job in part time hours. I was run ragged working every evening and nap time. Then when I wanted to go back full time they obviously refused to pay more for the same work I had apparently been doing part time and wanted to load let more duties on me. I had to get a new job to get a fair deal. Beware
2. Because I was at home part time and DH was full time (even though I still earnt more than him) all the housework also became my responsibility too so now I was being crushed by that as well.

I do not actually know how I survived those years and I do not recommend it. If you do go part time make sure that you actually lose some duties as well as the time and make sure your partner steps up at home.

Good Luck.

I've heard people regret working full time as they missed out on watching them grow while they were little

The dumbest thing I ever did was try to work 4 days over 5 so I could pick them up from school. That did not last very long as no one perceived me as part time because I was there every day, I never left on time and was always late for DC and knackered.

I dropped from 48 hours to 28ish (3 days a week) after my first mat leave. I don't think I'd have survived continuing full time at that point, it included lots of shifts and a long commute, and DS1 did not sleep well, so I barely coped with 60%. Kept it that way after DS2, until he was almost 4, when my training contract finished. Started new consultant job as FT but "only" 40ish hours.

20 hours a week until DC at senior school, then FT.

I do 22.5 hours over 3 days. I have one DC starting primary this September, my youngest still has another 2 years at nursery.
I might increase to 28 hours over 4 days when they’re both at school but I don’t think I’ll ever go back full time.

0.5 and never. I'm lucky enough to work in a sector where a lot of people do PT anyway. I like work, but have always found it to be best enjoyed in less than 40 hours a week.

Everyone I know returned to work full time after maternity leave - friends, family and colleagues. We have all still seen our DC’s through the milestones and grow up. No regrets only positives and lots of benefits.

What have people told you?

Had a 13 months off with DC. Worked 25 hours.
Now work work between 18-33 hours and week depending on my childcare.

I feel like I have the perfect balance.

Full time for me. But DH dropped to 0 hours with DD1 then up to 8 hours and now works 16 hours and that seems to work best. DD2 will be at a childminders 2 days a week when shared parental leave finishes.

Not always on the mum to drop her hours.....

40 hr contract in reality 50-60

Basically missed out on the milestones and just wanted to be there but couldn't as they were working

Love this for you! Wish it was more common.

Zero regret here 🤷🏼‍♀️
I would have regretted sacrificing my career though.

21 hours (3 x 7 hour days)

PT is a best of both worlds situation for us, I can’t imagine working FT again but suppose I will when kids are older

30hrs initially, then by age 2 a job change and FT until my child was 4. Went down to 22hrs/school hours as they started school. Now increasing again to 4 days.

It's been ever changing. Found FT easiest with Nursery. Much harder when school starts especially if wrap around is poor/not suitable for FT working. Only my experience though.