To ask how you would work 10 hours in a week?

[Moomoomango]

So I have a ten hour work from home job - but about once a week attend meetings that last 2-3 hours. I'm also caring for my children 4 and 1 full time and am responsible for mostly all housework as oh is disabled, he does what he can but mostly it's down to me.

Would you

A. Work 2 hours every night when kids are in bed
B. Work 2 half days at 5 hours each while 4yo at nursery and sort childcare for 1 year old (grandparents happy to do childcare)
C. Work one long day plus a few evening hours while 4yo at nursery and get childcare for 1 year old
D. A different option I haven't thought of?

I feel like the balance is off in my life - I'm currently doing a and have no time for myself!

Definitely B.

B or C

B

One long day and the remaining hours that evening.

If you do a it's on your mind the whole week and feels like more time than it is

I would do B personally especially as you have childcare sorted. Will stop you having to work evenings and doing other 'odd' hours. Done with over two days so you can plan your other days.

I would do exactly the same as two

C I think.

If your OH is disabled - are you getting any help with that?

I'd get it out of the way Monday and Tuesday and then that leaves me with the rest of the week.

I am not surprised you get no time to yourself - caring for an adult and two kids is a full time job in itself.

B or C.

I would go with option B. I've tried to fit work into early mornings and evenings without using childcare and felt that the balance wasn't working for us. You can completely focus on work on those two half days as your childcare is sorted. I did one full day and two half days for a while and tried to do all the household tasks on those half day afternoons. They were my busy days and as a result, the rest of the week was more relaxed.

I'd like to try to get it over with all at once but that might prove difficult to manage so on balance I'd say B.
I'd hate to be doing 2 hours every evening, it makes it seem like a
bigger job (time wise) than it actually is. Getting it out of way over two days seems like the way to go.
Good luck, hope it works out.m

B - I think you will be quickly exhausted with A and may be hard to motivate yourself. I would work much more efficiently with a block of time set aside with no distractions. It may depend on the job but I work part time of which 2 days are often 10 hours and I am mentally flagging towards the end so I would pick B over C.

I did A for a year and it killed me. Definitely B or C.

B or V

C not V

I do A with 22 hours a week...works for me. Depends on the type of work though. I work just over 3 hours each day as the work is monotonous and I find it impossible to do a full day without getting really fed up.

I would do B or C.

B

B- I work similar hours with children the same age and do exactly this.

B

B seems like the best option.

B. I used to work 8hts split over 2 days rather than one long day. It worked much better as it meant I was working for 2 days so if something came up I had to deal with or couldn't get hold of someone I needed to speak to then I had two chances in the week to sort it. With just one day there was the a full week before I had the chance to catch up again.

B

Don't let work take your evenings if you possibly can.

Definitely B. C is too tiring and if one kid is ill, everything goes to pot. B doesn't put any pressure on anyone.

The worst would be A!

Thank you mumsnetters!