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

[NotAnotherHeffalump]

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?

In my current job 8.30 to 2.30 would mean i only had breakfast club to pay for and would save me £100 a week.

8-3 - i work these hours and also am allowed to work from home as and when i like - i realise how luck i am. Sometimes i get in for 9. My company/boss - very very very flexible and family oriented.

I work three mornings a week, 9:15-12:15 term time only. It works well as I get a couple of days to myself and use the afternoons to get jobs done round the house/take the dog out!

For us this is the best balance (we have three children) however I've worked a combination of full time, part time and been a stay at home Mum.

@Openup41 I work full time (and am actually the main earner) but we could afford for me to work part time, or even not work if we really pulled our belts in. My DH earns £40k.

None of the SAHMs or PT mums I know have husbands who earn even near £100k!

I've been part time (between 20-25 hours) since I had my first dc nearly 16 year ago.
During that time I've been married to the dc's dad who earned around £60k - £75k then iirc, a single parent, with late-DH but we maintained separate finances and now on my own again since he died.

I’ll be returning from Maternity Leave in November and will be working 3 x 10hr days. They’ll be long days but I’m very lucky they’ve agreed as it means 4 days salary a week.
DS will be in Nursery 2 x mornings (collected at 1pm by Daddy 1 day and my Mam 1 day) then with DMIL one day.
I guess in an ideal world I’d either work 2 x days or 3 x shorter days. I’d hate to not work at all as I enjoy my job.

I think anyone who wants to restructure their working life should talk to their partner/DH about what they would like to do. There always seems to be an assumption that they will soldier on 9-5 x 5 when perhaps they too would like to reduce hours and spend more time with their children.

20 hours a week - flexitime - from home.

I do 2 long days/12 hours so I work Fridays 7am to 7pm then Sunday 7pm-7am

Works for us perfectly as dh is off on Fridays and SIL has the baby on a Monday so no childcare costs!

I do 8:45am-5:15pm. This means I get an hour for lunch. No real commute (10 minutes). Suits me fine. Get a rostered day off every month, too.

I currently work 8am-4pm, four days a week, term time only. 15 minute commute.

I suppose given the choice it would be nice to work a bit less, but I also think I'm pretty lucky to have the arrangement I've got now.

My hours work for me really well at the moment - flexi between 7 and 7 and option to work from home 2 days a week.

When I do have kids, I’ll be able to condense to 4 days a week. When they are school-aged, I’d love to be able to do what a former colleague does - she’s contracted to 3 days a week but works 5 days in term time and then takes TOIL for the entire summer holidays.

I knew that there would be a lot of people saying about 2/3 days a week.

Surprised at how few are saying not working would be their ideal though!