Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Part time 3 days

31 replies

cheekypickle · 17/08/2012 17:04

Who else works part time 3 days? How do you find it?

I have DD 1 year old who'll be at childminder those three days.

At least she'll be with me 4 days a week

OP posts:

JumpingThroughHoops · 17/08/2012 17:06

Don't beat yourself up about those 3 days.

BBwolefs · 17/08/2012 17:07

Hey cheeky, i went back to work 2 days per week then in apr had to move to three days to Avoid redundancy. I have personally found it tough and tiring BUT i dont know if thats because i was used to an easy job 2 days a week (now in a v diff role) or that i resented the extra. Also pg (found out in may) which may does mean that extra day feels so much more tiring!

Work is ok when im there but two days was better for me

dreamingofsun · 17/08/2012 17:13

i work 4 days and i really like it - much better than working 5, so imagine 3 could be even better. depends on the job though - in mine i couldn't do a 5 day person's role in 3 days, so wouldn't be taken seriously or given decent projects to do. depends on your priorities though. i have never felt totally at home in the SAHM environment though as i'm not available that much, though now kids are older i'm reaping the financial rewards and also doing decent job compared to some of the other mums.

cubscout · 17/08/2012 17:20

Three days is a great balance for me - enough to feel part of my team but 2 lovely days in the week at home.

BigRedIndiaRubberBall · 17/08/2012 17:22

I do, and I love it. Enough time that it feels I'm doing something properly, and part of the team, and short enough working week that it still feels like fun - and that I'm spending enough time with 17-month-old DS.

FuckityFuckFuck · 17/08/2012 17:24

I work 3 days a week and I like it. Mine is spead out over the whole week, so it feel like I have loads of time off

edwinbear · 17/08/2012 17:24

3 days was perfect for us, enough for me to enjoy doing a career I loved, but still have my children more days that they were in childcare. DH lost his job a few months ago, but luckily found another one within 3 months. He's taken a big pay cut though so I'm going back after this mat leave on 4 days a week. I'd prefer 3 days, but needs must!

FunnyBird · 17/08/2012 17:24

I found three days tough to start with. Too much time away from DD and too much time away from work. But it didn't take long to settle in, either me to work or DD to nursery. It's now a really great balance. Just need to work really hard to get the handover at work right, to make sure you're in the loop and in top of things, without taking too much work home with you.

NettOlympicSuperstar · 17/08/2012 17:26

Are you talking job or career?
I used to do three days, in a job, so nothing to share/worry about on my days off, I think that probably makes a difference.
I loved it, best of both worlds.

JumpingThroughHoops · 17/08/2012 17:27

I like work, so I always actively encourage anyone to get back in the saddle. I do think it's important, both for your emotional and financial well being. Be different if you were married to someone filthy rich and you could pop off to Milan for a days shopping, I could occupy myself quite happily spending someone elses money

I do think it is important to realise that raising a family isn't a life time career, it will take perhaps a third of your life, so you do need to keep something on the back burner for when you may want to go back full time.

BikeMedalsRunningMedals · 17/08/2012 17:30

I work 3 days a week and I find it the perfect balance.

headfairy · 17/08/2012 17:30

I do three days a week, but they're long days (13 hour shifts) so I'm actually full time on those three days. It's great. A really nice balance. I make sure my two days off alone with the dcs count. I don't do any boring shite like supermarket shopping with them, have the food delivered. We also have a cleaner once a week so I don't have to spend my days off doing housework with them. In my two days off we have loads of fun, play dates, going swimming, going to the park, doing lots of crafty things.

peasorbeans · 17/08/2012 17:31

Congratulations, sounds great. Don't worry about it or feel bad, it sounds ideal. Your daughter will be just fine. She'll get lots from it too and learn some new skills of her own. Hope it all works out well for you.

ILiveInAPineapple · 17/08/2012 17:33

I work 5 days a week but I really wish I worked 4. No chance of even being considered to go p/t, apparently we have too many p/t teachers in our school, although nobody in my dept
I would just like a day to pick my ds up from school and catch up at home, but hey ho, it's swings and roundabouts! We were skint when I was on maternity leave so I can't have it all ways.

I'm sure 3 days will be lovely :-)

blondieminx · 17/08/2012 17:34

I work 3 days a week and I like it!

It's a good balance for me and my family. It's nice to be able to have the best of both worlds . 4 days with DD and 3/5ths of my old salary as well!

WilsonFrickett · 17/08/2012 17:35

It was a great balance for me, enough time at work to earn my salary (managerial role) and feel part of the team, 3 days at nursery for DS having fun and playing with his pals, and then 2 days with me, 2 days with me and DH. I couldn't have done my job in any less time so there wasn't much of a 'will I/ won't I' decision to make, but it worked brilliantly for us.

Remember as well you get holidays, so it's not 52 weeks x 3 days

throwinshapes · 17/08/2012 17:35

Yup. 3 days weekly too. Have done it since dd1 was 11 months old (she's now 5yrs).
Find it the perfect balance between mum stuff and having a good career.
I've even been promoted once in that time
Highly recommend it.
I feel very lucky, both DDs are happy healthy and LOVE their childminder.
What's not to like
Good luck!

gamerwidow · 17/08/2012 17:41

I work 3 days a week tues-thurs and I love it. I get to have long weekends every week and still achieve a lot at work because the 3 days are a block rather than fragmented. I think I would find it harder if the days were spread out more.

I thought I would hate returning to work after maternity leave and the thought of spending 3 days without DD used to make me anxious and tearful but I have enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. I think DD has loved spending time with our fab CM and the other mindees too.

Thing3 · 17/08/2012 17:43

I work 21 hours a week over 3 days, reduced from 24 hours a week last year as was finding 8 hour days stressful. I think for us it works really well. It means I can pick DD1, and soon DD2, up from school on the 2 days I am off. When DD3 starts school in 2 years I might consider upping my hours but won't even think about it until nearer the time.

I am a single parent and have very little help from their dad so think working 5 days, looking after DDs and making sure the house is reasonably tidy would be too much for me.

HappyJustToBe · 17/08/2012 17:56

I work three 8 hour days a week and have done since DD was 13mo. It was hard at first because DD was unsettled by it. I have been back 8 weeks and I find it a nice balance between work and family life.

HappyJustToBe · 17/08/2012 17:58

I should add after 4 weeks DD went to the childminder's house with no problems and is always happy to go there now which I honestly didn't believe would ever happen!

INeverFinishAnythi · 17/08/2012 17:58

Me! I only went back to work 8 weeks ago but I do 3 days and I LOVE it! I do Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Sunday night when everyone is moaning about Monday morning coming up, I've still got another day off. I do the the first day, then on the second it's halfway through my week already and the next is like my Friday! 4 days off every week is fantastic, but I also love the days at work cos I get to talk to different people and do different things. Plus my little one is happier as he's socialising at nursery, and gets a more 'refreshed' mummy the rest of the time as we've had a break from each other (I'm a single parent). If you can afford to do 3 days, I definitely would. I really feel I've got the best of both worlds :)

missmapp · 17/08/2012 17:59

I used to work three days a week and really loved it, it was a great work-home balance and work was actually part-time. I now work 4 days which is more of a struggle and work tries to push 5 days work into my 4 days.

Good luck

PurpleAndPoppyWearer · 17/08/2012 18:03

I used to do 3 days a week and it was the perfect balance for us. I'd still be doing it now if I hadn't been made redundant .

Youaresoright · 17/08/2012 18:03

I find it to be the best balance. Work-wise I could probably do with doing 4 days as with 3 it is quite hard to keep things moving along, but definitely the right balance for home and the DSs. I feel refreshed by going to work and having some time to think about other things, and more patient with the children and more focused on doing things with them when I am at home. They love nursery too, without being too exhausted.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread