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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what your (realistic) ideal working hours would be?

65 replies

NotAnotherHeffalump · 26/07/2018 07:02

I'm currently working 3 days a week 8-4. Have 3 DCs aged 9,3 and 2. Sometimes feel I have the balance right, other times feel like I'd rather be at home and looking after my family. Not just looking after the kids, but taking the pressure off DH by shouldering more of the housework, school runs, it being less hectic the evenings I do work etc. I also do a fair bit of volunteering and have plenty of interests outside of work.

Company is restructuring soon and I'm wondering if it would be nicer to work 3 mornings a week. I think about leaving work quite a lot. DH is supportive either way. We would have to be more organised around finances, but we wouldn't starve if I worked less.

If you could pick your working hours what would they be?

OP posts:
Pascha · 26/07/2018 07:06

If I could get decent before school childcare I would work 7-2 mon-fri.

NurseryFightClub · 26/07/2018 07:10

Flexitime, happy to have core hours, but with a husband how works shifts it would be nice to have more flexibility

crisscrosscranky · 26/07/2018 07:10

9-5 works well for me but I would like to do 4 days or term time only.

RedPill · 26/07/2018 07:10

None Grin

NameChangingParanoid · 26/07/2018 07:11

I was coming on to say three days a week so you basically have my ideal hours!

1sttimeunicorn · 26/07/2018 07:12

I’d love to do 3 days 8.30-4.30
But unfortunately it just doesn’t make much sense financially at the moment

scuttlemama · 26/07/2018 07:12

I just asked for mine recently and my boss said yes! When I read the reply from her I cried. I’ll be working my hours from home during the evenings mainly now.

It feels like a total life changer for me:

  • No childcare costs
  • I can do all of the school drop offs and collections
  • I get to enjoy the holidays more with them
  • More time with our baby
  • Same salary as I had pre maternity

I didn’t think I’d get it approved, so no matter how out there you think that it might be, I’d always ask your employer, you never know.

Littlecaf · 26/07/2018 07:12

My work operates flexi time with core hours 10-4. I like this as I can drop off and still be a work for 10 and DP picks up so I work later.

WhatAnAbsolutePenis · 26/07/2018 07:13

9-5.
I’m not even bothered about the term time thing anymore.

CantankerousCamel · 26/07/2018 07:13

I am self employed and manage to fit my work completely around having children and still have one or two nights a week to see my husband.

Works for me

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 26/07/2018 07:13

Ideally none but since that's not an option financially I would love to work 930-4pm, 4 days a week. My work are knobs and won't let me and insist I remain full time.

WhatAnAbsolutePenis · 26/07/2018 07:14

Although I do quite like the long shifts and days off.

So maybe 3 X 12 hours shifts but just days.

Sleepyslops · 26/07/2018 07:15

My hours now. I'm flexitime working mon-fri. 30hrs a week. It works out that I can do all school pick ups and drop offs.

headinhands · 26/07/2018 07:17

10-2 5 days a week. So part time.

Up until recently I was 8-4 everyday and quit to spend some time on me/family/house

JustDanceAddict · 26/07/2018 07:17

I work the same as you but 4 days term/time. Realistically it’s too early a start as I need to be up by 6.30 and I’m perpetually shattered!
Ideally I’d work more like 9-5 but locally so I could be home by 5.30 (am usually back by 4.50) to keep an eye on DCs (they’re teens), make dinner, put washing on etc. Dh doesn’t get back til 7. Also non-term time as don’t really need it any more, but I’d go down to 3 days I think as I would have more time for some other things I do. So 3 full days of money was good, 4 if not so good (and then more holidays pro-rata).
When DCs were younger I worked 20 hrs spread over 3 days which was quite stressful! Was local but I had to use after school & breakfast clubs to fit it in.

Welliejellie · 26/07/2018 07:19

I think I work the perfect hours 9-3 so can do school drop and pick and I work term time only.

ToffeePennie · 26/07/2018 07:22

I’m a ta. I wish I could work 9am - 2:30pm and therefore have zero childcare costs as it is crippling us. I literally work for nothing.

Eminybob · 26/07/2018 07:31

School hours term time only.

Ds starts school in September, and luckily I’ll then go on mat leave for a year so will have child care covered, but after that, paying for new ds's nursery, plus ds1 wraparound and holiday care it’s going to be a nightmare.

Cheerbear23 · 26/07/2018 07:32

8.48-4.30 4 days a week would be my ideal. I work locally so there’s no big commute which is fabulous too.

Flamingo19 · 26/07/2018 07:33

8-2 3 days a week

Seacow87 · 26/07/2018 07:36

8-2 ×4 day and 8-6 x1. Means I can pick up 4 days a week and only need one afternoon of childcare. Has been revolutionary for me. I changed from 8-6 x4 in June. Finally feel I'm winning at being a grown up

Userloser · 26/07/2018 07:37

7pm- 7pm 2 days a week.

Userloser · 26/07/2018 07:38

I mean 7pm- 7am 🤷‍♀️ I’d like to work on hospital wards.

Dreamingofkfc · 26/07/2018 07:42

I work at the hospital so tend to do one day shift and two night shifts a week, one of those into the weekend. Works pretty well for us, although tiring but means full time hours yet I'm around with kids three days in the week

museumum · 26/07/2018 07:42

Your hours seem quite perfect to me. I wouldn’t want to do less than 3 days as you’re always playing catch up. 8-4 works well with school plus a tiny bit of breakfast/after-school club.
Depends on your commute I guess.