Inspired by another thread - are you full time, part time, SAHM and how old are your kids

[Iampondering]

Obviously what works for everyone is different, and I’m not looking to cast judgement on anyone else’s decisions in life!
Now my DC is 7, I am surprised however to be only one of two full timers out of my close group of friends. The other 5 range from 2-3 days a week. No SAHM in our circle though.
I was PT until school then shifted to FT then.
Just being nosy and wondering what’s the norm for other friendship groups, and is there a shift as DC get older?

Not many mums I know work full time. I work 30 hours, 9-3 Mon-Fri. I have 3 kids, the youngest is last year of primary school. When they go to secondary I think I will change my hours and work 8-4 for 4 days a week, in order to have a day off a week. Can’t wait!!

DC 4 & 8- full time worker, always have been. DH earns less and is self employed so works his hours around the kids. No grand parents and we don’t bring in enough for round the clock childcare. I’d love to be a part time worker, not for the kids but just to work less and gain some time.
I will say it’s a hell of lot easier thanks to wfh and gaining that commute time back.

Full time. Kids are 11, 4 & 3. I'm a single parent, it's a juggle.

I was a sahm but now ds has started school I work (very) part time! Worked until dd2 was 2, got made redundant from the nhs and then decided to stay with them whilst dh picked up more hours, prior to that he was a sahd. We were on almost minimum wage so only made sense for one to work with the cost of childcare

Full time now, DC 16 and 18. Was part time until they were both in primary 1.

I work part time (reduced hours over 5 days) so i can do school pick up etc. and because we are exhausted.

My kids are 4 and 1 (nearly 5 and 2).

The only friend i have who works full time has lots of family help with school pick up.

I am very part time. Am on a zero hours contract. Most months I work 6-12 hours. DS is 9. I worked 30 hours a week plus when he was in nursery then stopped completely when he started school. Took up this job this year. I always knew I didn't want to use wrap around care of holiday clubs so this works for us.

Part time, self employed. DH & I own our own business, have employees etc. I do a day or two a week doing paperwork, whilst eldest is at preschool and youngest is with me. Two children, one is 4, one is 7 months. I tend to refer to myself as a SAHM though, for some reason. Perhaps because I’m always with one or both of my children? I don’t know.

Of my closest friends (so ones I know the ins and outs of their working / personal life!), all with preschool aged children, all are part time.

I have older teens, one has SEN.

Across thier life span i have had two 8 months mat leaves, worked various part time arrangements(minimum 22.5 hours) and full time.

Im currently term time only and 30 hours.

SAHM, one in infants, one in juniors

I work 30 hours, Monday to Thursday. My eldest is 9 and my youngest is 4 next month. I honestly have no intention of working full time again.

Ive been full time since DS was 1, so returned to full time after maternity leave. DH is part time though.

I am not sure what I am considered to be as I am classed as a carer (oldest is disabled) and middle child has had medical issues since birth but I work on the local councils staff school bank.

I enjoying working but my personal circumstances make it tricky so i pick up shifts when the kids are doing OK. Over the last couple of weeks i have worked 3 days a week 8.30 am to 2 pm but prior to this I hadnt worked in 6 months because my kids really needed me home. Dh works full time in a senior financial role for the NHS but his hours can work long hours due to deadlines so can't always help.

PT, single parent to 13yo, 11yo and 8yo, the youngest is disabled.

Have sacrificed running a car / family holidays abroad / bigger house to be able to work 3 days per week for the past 7 years as I need to be available for all my DC but in particular DC3.

I WFH, earn a decent salary and have a very understanding team. Realistically I dont think I'll ever be able to go back to FT with DC3's needs.

I wish it were different but it's not so I make the best of it.

I work part time, 4 days a week. I have a DC in school and a DC in nursery. When youngest starts school I’m not going to go full time, I’m going to have a day to myself for life admin and a bit of me time. I’m really looking forward to it.

My DD is 12. When I went back to work following mat leave I worked 3 full days. When she started school I changed this to keep the same hours but spread over 5 days so that I worked school hours. Then after covid I changed this to same hours over 4 days (as I was able to wfh 2 days per week and this saved on commuting time). Now she is in secondary school (and I don't need to do the school run any more) I work full time compressed hours over 4 days.

Worked part-time (3 days) until kids were 11 and 8, then went went back full time. They’re 13 and 10 now. Life is very busy and I’d have preferred to stay part-time, but it felt like too much of a luxury financially.

I took 2 years off when we had DS. I’ve worked 3 days a week since then. He’s now in year 7 but my PT is helpful because of some health issues I have, school holidays and the fact that DH works long hours in a higher paying industry than mine.

Children are 1 and 3. Work PT, self-employed, 2 sometimes 3 days/week. I would really like to do 3-4 days (and find it extremely frustrating that I can’t) but logistically can’t make it work until eldest starts school.

FT but flexible WFH. DDs are 13 and 17.

I worked PT when they were small, 3 days then 4 days up until DD2 was 8. Ive never been a SAHM other than 2x 8m Mat Leaves, DH really never earned enough and I wouldn't have wanted to be financially dependent on him if he was.

We both work part time, I also play a sport semi-professionally as my second employment, this is evenings and then some weekends for a portion of the year.

We have a ten year old and an almost four year old. We can work whatever days we like, so some weeks one does monday to wednesday and the other wednesday to friday. Sometimes we change it so we both have a longer weekend together. But generally there is usually only one day a week when we’re both at work. Every so often we have to work certain days for meetings. My husband sometimes works away for a week, but that means he accrues TOIL that he can use as and when he chooses.

I was part time after my first mat leave up until second DC was born, then SAHM until youngest started primary.
Then part time again until youngest started secondary, then full time, but compressed hours, so I still get a bit of time off during the working week.

I’m part time with four kids aged 15-7, and I still can’t fit everything in.

I want to work more, but I know that I’d still have to do the lion’s share at home (dp works long, long hours and is often away) so I guess I can’t.

If anyone is reading this who has not started/is still growing their family, I’d say that these are the things we were completely naive about: my working potential and mental health, and the fact that teenagers need their parents just as much if not more, in some ways. We are absolutely, completely, mentally and physically, exhausted.

I have secondary school aged kids and went part time when ds1 was born and have stayed part time though I work a couple of long days from home and a couple of shorter days with Fridays off.

I was the only SAHM that I knew (I was a SAHM for a couple of years).

Now DD is 15 and I work 4 days a week. Only for about 18 months have I worked full time since she was born. Now that we’re both hybrid there’s always someone here when she gets home from school and I think that’s been a good thing.