To ask how many hours you work?

[Elmoespanol]

I have just started my own business and currently have enough clients to give me around 15 hours of work a week. DH works full time and come home at 7pm every evening. I do everything around the house, everything for our 3 children, but now don't know how many hours I should be working? I am gradually getting more and more clients but not sure how many hours would be the optimum when combining work with my other responsibilities?

Approx 50 on average - single parent, dd5.
Have a cleaner, and manage 1 school pick up/week. Use the time DD is with her Dad to catch up with work stuff.
Hard work & v stressful but need to do it to keep a roof over our heads & pay for trips & activities.

About 10 hours per week.

This is about the right amount to equal dh's full time hours, as I do all hw (I quite enjoy it, so don't want a cleaner), and the dc do a lot of activities so lots of ferrying about and admin.

I thought I could do more when my youngest started reception, and threw myself in to a 9-3, but our quality of life decreased as we had to get all the stuff I now get done in the week, in the evenings and weekends.

I work 29 hours and spend 1 day at university professionally additionally to that

I’m paid for 35 hours (8.30-4.30, mostly start at 7.45 though) and do most things around the house and taking DS to his breakfast club/cubs/sports etc, DP doesn’t have set hours he usually leaves house at 8 and will be home anywhere between 5pm - midnight (50 hours pw average). Ironing and dishes are left for him regardless of when he’s home and I do everything else. If he’s not working and I am then he does everything apart from cooking, both off it’s pretty much an even split.

I do 16
My partner does about 40 sometimes more and sometimes a couple less.
Kids are 5.&7

Roughly 47 going to 49 soon, that’s two jobs 👎🤯

I work 30 hours a week, my husband usually does around 60-70. I do most of the day to day housework and cooking.

I’ve cut back to about 50 hours since the end of last year (45 minute commute each way on top).

For context, my DC are now 15 and 17. If I need time off for a domestic appointments, medical appointment for myself or something significant for one of the DC then it is never a problem.

On top of that, I am disabled and so limited in what I can do around the house. I find it more fulfilling to be at work where I’m making a real difference than to sit at home and be frustrated that I can’t easily cook a meal or do housework.

50 - 60. DH about 40. Two DC.

Around 60 most weeks (secondary school teacher). Sometimes up to 70 if there's a parents' evening, plus a v heavy marking week.

On maternity leave but about to go back 20 hours a week.

I’m genuinely shocked- and jealous of these numbers. I work around 75-80 hours a week. My partner about 40-50. We both work 6 out of 7 nights all evening after the kids are asleep. We both love what we do, but miss fun time together. However the only other way has appeared to be at the cost of time with the kids so we’ve gone with it. I didn’t think we were odd. But reading this maybe we are.

For context I have a couple of degrees and used to be a secondary school, uk, core subject teacher. A very middle of the road, median salary graduate job. The children were challenging but that was fine and expected. The senior management treated staff like the shit on their shoes and that was the problem.

I'm abroad now and earn a reasonable but not brilliant salary in a job that is valued and respected as a professional, well trained, vocational calling here. The salary is more than my teaching salary was 5 years after graduating. with a first class honours degree and masters degree with distinction. which btw involved more years of study than a newly qualified doctor... - in the uk it's a job where professionals are treated like disposable shit,.That is the difference.

When children were young my husband worked an average of 70 hours so I limited mine to 20 -25. That allowed me to manage the household.

3 days a week so 21 hours..do is full time, one part time one full time is relatively typical in my friendship group. I have primary school aged children.

All that matters if the children are over 5 is that parents have enough time for their children. By 5 years old it doesn't matter which parent as long as time is available for the child not only for selfish freetime interests like cycling, recreational shopping, animal related hobbies, console gaming or whatever. Some parents give up all interest in their children to game or drink or hunt or persue sporting goals.

@crazyoldfish

I’m the same as you guys- work most nights once DS is in bed. Am on my knees, frankly. Though I do love the job, and am quite career minded.

50, DH is SAHP to five children from 2-13.

70 hours this week, 3 x 10 hour days and 4 x 10 hour nights plus up to an hour's driving either side. I try to average 40 hours a week though if I can.

40 give or take. Lone parent with one at home, aged 9 and one at uni.

I work from home with some flexibility and use after school childcare twice a week. The other days he comes home and entertains himself for a couple of hours. Often work early and late to make the hours up.

I am surprised to hear of such long hours 70 -80 hours a week??

Especially those with young kids or a partner who works long hours too.

Is that an axxeptable work/life balance.
On your time off you must have to cram in lots of housework/shopping/bills etc. A cleaner may help, but even so leaves a lot of the life organisation to your time off.
Do you have time for leisure? Exercise? Socialising?

I would be doing everything in my power to lighten such a load.

My youngest is 18, I choose to work 20 hours a week. For me that is a perfect balance. There is so much I want to do outside work, and it leads to a healthier balance for me.

I don’t have a choice

I have a young family (1,5, 8) and we need my FT consultant dr salary to pay for what we need.
Kids hate it when they basically don’t see me fromone week to the next but that’s what has to happen.
FT means a stupid number of hours and most jobs in my specialty aren’t doable well PT at consultant level so 30/40h per week simply isn’t an option

About 45 hours a week. I'm a single parent ,have been since kids were small ,now teens. I probably have best work life balance I have ever had at the moment. Recently changed job ,same job title but in current role I actually have time to do my job in working hours. Previous job easily putting in 70 hours a week.

wow I'm exhausted reading these.
I work 20 hours. dh works 40.
3 Dc.
We decided to have a much cheaper lifestyle so that we have more time with each other. I'm self employed so can move my hours to suit and increase if needs be.

About 32-ish. DH works about 40, but there's also a fair amount of travel. So although when he's here, the demands on him are reasonable, he's often away for 24 at a time, or a week or a fortnight.