Which is better, fewer longer days or more shorter days?

[Fluffsmum]

Re nursery. Work have declined my request for reduced hours so I'll be going back full time. They have offered compressed hours, which I am considering. So which do you think is better - 5 days in nursery 8.20-4.40 or 4 days 7.30-5.45 and a day at week with mum?

Ps ignore basil - they get used to it and self regulate in terms of energy expenditure eg can nap anywhere, take themselves off for a bit of quiet time

tryingoutgreyhair fortunately it's only a 12 minute journey.

Also see if your dh can compress for another day and then it is only 3 days in nursery.

If it's in the car be prepared to sing a lot of loud nursery rhymes. I used to let mine have a cat nap then a slightly later bed time

Agree that compressed hours would work better for the little one but you need to think ahead to the older one starting school - presumably next Sept? What are your plans for childcare then?

Basil no. I knew they wouldn't agree when I applied. It's 50% or 100%. But 50% just isn't sufficient to do the job properly (I requested 75% or 80%).

maddening unfortunately he can't he has asked already.

Bucatini It'll be before and after school club. We don't have any other option - it would be that anyway, regardless of my hours. The cost of childcare goes up when he goes to school!

I just went straight back full time, 5 days after DS, he was fine at nursery. I'm hoping DC2 will be the same!

Also compressed hours means you can do a nice thing on your day off eg swimming lesson (I left chores til the weekend!)

OP
Dont worry about justifying your decision and situation to basil.

Compressed hours, I do this and have a Wednesday off and its lovely to have the day with dd. Also have one less day nursery to pay and ones less day commuting petrol to pay for! DD loves nursery and sometimes doesn't want to leave when I get there so I don't worry it's too much for her 😂
In an ideal world we wouldn't need to work or leave children in nurseries but unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world and sometimes people need to go to work!

And presumably they can have breakfast at nursery? If you think about it in terms of what time you have at home rather than the time in nursery it's one quality day at home vs five extra bits of time in the morning grappling with cereal and five slightly longer evenings at home with sometimes grumpy children waiting for tea 😁

Depends. I tried compressed. DC was fine at nursery, but got really upset when most parents collected their DCs before he was collected.

tryingoutgreyhair tha'smy thoughts. In reality they'd end up at nursery earler anyay so they could get breakfast there and I could miss the morning traffic, and they'd be grumpy at home time so the evening hours wouldn't be fun. A day at home will be fun.

We've got a cleaner and I'm going to start sending laundry out once I'm back so housework will be a minimum.

I guess I feel a bit guilty because I want to go back to work, rather than having to. My husband doesn't feel this guilt though.

jenny I can change it back to uncompressed very easily (and will have ft places at nursery anyway) so may as well give it a try.

I would probably try compressed hours,see how it goes.When I did it I had to be quite strong at work as few people did the standard hours so there was a bit of resentment !!

Once they are at school shorter days are best.

Try not to stress about it,I am out the other end and DC all did brilliantly at school and don't seem any different from children of SAHM.

Ignore fuckers like Basil

Mine do two long days at nursery (8-6) but have the rest of the days with me/DH as I do reduced hours and he does compressed. We are very lucky. My boys are tired on nursery days but they spend more time with us which I think is worth it.

My friend has hers in for five short days and is constantly stressed, every day involves pick ups and drop offs and it's a bit relentless I think.

Fewer longer, you will probably pay same fee in nursery for shorter day.

Another vote for fewer longer, especially given the hours you will work if you do 5 days a week. You would always be commuting in peak rush hour.

Basil you're a twat.

OP long days gives you a full day at home which is lovely.

I worked compressed hours [with long commute]. Worked 4 9.2 -hour days. Had a firstclass boss who allowed a day off on Friday and another on following Monday so every other weekend was 4 days.

@Fluffsmum

Ignore basil. There’s always one on these threads seemingly horrified that working parents use nurseries.

Agree with everyone else - 4 long days and enjoy a full day at home with DC. I’ve just switched to a few shorter days over 5 days now DC has started school. It’s been nice to have the after school time together but I miss our full home days :(

I feel your pain with this as I had a similar issue with my work. I was told they couldn't accommodate fewer hours but they also wouldn't let me do compressed hours to give me a day off a week. I ended up work 8am-5pm Mon-Thu in the office, then 8am-11.30am Fri from home. Meant we only needed childcare 4 days a week bit I found it really hard going from having all week with my DD to having half a day with her.
Personally I would do the compressed hours and have a full day at home with your children.