When have others found part-time work most useful with children?

[Armchairs]

I currently have one DC and returning to work when he’s 11 months. I’ve decided to go back full time.

I’d love to go part time in the future, but wondering when people think is the best moment? I’ve heard nursery is actually an easier period because they can go for whole days and school is more challenging?

I’d love another baby so part of my going back full time is to maximise my mat pay.

Interested to know when other people have found itfelt the most valuable/useful to be part time?

Once they're preschool age if you can finish at 2.30 they can go to an actual 'preschool' (term time only, no wraparound) if you can find a way to cover the school holidays.

School obviously it makes life a lot less rushed if you can pick them up a few days a week, rather than screeching into wraparound on two wheels at 5.55 (been there, a lot!)

I do 3 short days and 2 long days and it means we can do clubs during the week and keep the weekends free for everyone to catch up on their sleep. Probably going to go full time next year when DD2 is in Y7 - as they get older the clubs get later. Eg - Beavers is at 4.30pm, Scouts is at 7.30pm.

I went back part time when DC1 was one, did this for a year (this was several years ago when funding only kicked in the term after they turned 3) so it was a financial decision, then increased back to FT 3 months before I fell pregnant with DC2 (which helped Mat pay) I’m going part time when this baby is one, ideally I’d be doing FT as the childcare funding has dropped to the term after they turn 9 months but my eldest starts reception and as the commentor above wrote having days off in the week to be able to drop off pick up is easier.

You are right though, private nurseries offer more child care than pre-schools/schools (teachers don’t flame me for referring to schools as childcare 😂) as many private nurseries cover 07:30 - 18:30 51 weeks a year.

Don’t know how we are going to manage drop offs for reception, DH & I both start at 8am, the breakfast club only opens at 8am & all the local childminders are full.

Primary school is the point I ended up quitting.
Worked FT until the youngest hit school, then everything fell apart.

I had dd1 and ds in close succession and was only back at work for 5 months before my second set of mat leave. I went to work part time for those 5 months and then after mat leave with ds. Dd and ds wlboth went to private nursery. Having two young children in close succession I just couldn't have coped going full time and everything else. Part time was just overall better for me and the dc After dd2 I decided to go self employed as my job is in itself not flexible but being able to manage my own work diary, work around the children and keep my commute as short as possible was a big draw. Dh did 2 days wfh after dd1 was born and now does a 4 day week with 2 days office. With dc3 we have never needed formal childcare as we work around each other.

Definitely late primary until secondary. I worked 9-5 in the nursery years and year round as was so easy back then. Not all schools have wraparound care or childminders who collect (our first primary school didn’t).

By 7/8, they start having sports and activities and wanting to have play dates. My eldest is in secondary and trains in a competitive sport plus has a job that starts at 4:45pm. There are no public transport options where we live, so one of us needs to drive her. Having flexibility (for Dh and I both as we share it equally) was definitely more important in the 2nd half of primary and into secondary.

Primary school age.

As you say, the Nursery or Childminder will have them for a whole day, to cover (the majority of) working hours + travel, and the child remains in the same place.

Once they get to school it is nice to be able to be around in the playground and put faces to names (their friends, their friends' parents, teachers and other staff).
It is also nice to be able to have a couple of days a week when you can take them to activities - swimming lessons / Rainbows / Beavers / Sports or dance or drama etc. Or just have a friend round to play.
It's nice to be able to get to the odd assembly or Sports Day or Play or workshop that they do.

They will also remember those years, but won't remember being a baby / toddler.

It also helps when it comes to covering school holidays, if you are already at home 2 days a week.