To think I can WFH 9-5 in the holidays with my kids at home

[TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl]

I recently started a new job where I’m based at home full time. Was a bit nervous at first not going into an office as I’ve only ever had office based roles but I’ve found a good rhythm and routine and we meet in big city once a month so I’m happy with that.

I was off through February half term but I don’t want to use all my holidays too soon. Obviously Easter holidays are coming up. My kids are 6&9. Holiday clubs not only cost a fortune but the kids absolutely hate going to them. I can get family childcare for a couple of days and DH can take a couple of days off bit WIBU to keep them at home while I work? They’re old enough to entertain themselves i’d just need to make their lunch and check they’re still alive.

For context - I know people at my new work who WFH on half days with their 1yo babies there. One of them was late to a meeting the other day because the health visitor was round!

The majority of my colleagues aren't particularly young. Mainly women though with children of all ages, and clearly a more flexible outlook. It works well.

What has that got to do with looking after children whilst working though? Bar childcare for an odd day unexpectedly falling through or illness or whatever then surely you should still be doing a decent day's work when wfh which isn't possible when being sole carer that day for young children? I'm all for flexibility but glad I don't work somewhere where peoples children shouting in the background of calls or whatever is considered normal. There's being flexible which is good, then there's people taking advantage of that surely.

I think that if it's one or at most two (non-consecutive) days a week AND your job doesn't require you to be on calls a lot and can be fairly flexible so you can put a few extra hours in the evening when the kids are in bed to make up for interruptions during the day, it would be ok.
It's not fair on your children to be ignored all day for two weeks whilst you're busy working. If they have 3-4 busy days with lots going on so that your working day(s) is a veg-out in front of the screen kind of day, that would be ok.

Oh that’s good :) I keep hearing negativity on here from older parents with older children. Shouldn’t generalise, that’s on me.

At least women are staying in work, earning salary and having pension. Previously they were screwed by becoming a SAHM.

People do drop offs and pickups. In holidays, kids are home with them.

My kids don’t shout, if they did they’d get a straight telling off. They know not to disturb me, I give them activities to stay occupied and I finish work 4pm. It’s more the morning and holidays for me.

I drop off the kids early in morning for breakfast club then pick them up after 4. Otherwise dh does it.

It’s more the holidays for me.

I don’t take advantage, I wake up earlier to get all my work done. I make sure I attend important meetings and go the extra mile. One of my colleagues is leaving and I’ve offered to take up her category, until they hire someone new. I’m a team player.

I would never take advantage, I’d actually rather do more than needed because of the flexibility I have. I know I have it good, I appreciate it and I’ll do anything I can to help my colleagues/ the company.

Sounds like fun for your children.

Can't you split the week and take 1 or 2 days off? DH takes 1 or 2 days, if grandparents can help then they do a few days plus the 2 BH. That's what my DD does with her 7 and 4 year old.

Very! My parents did the same as immigrants from another country with low salaries, can’t afford childcare.

I still managed to get a First Class degree and Distinction in my MSc. Have a good job!

Didn’t do me any harm :)

People make best of the situation with what they have. Simple.

I’d rather save money on childcare, but that’s just me. £2,000 a month - what a joke. Lol.

Definitely. That work flexibility makes a huge difference.

100%, best thing to come out of covid.

😂 just think of the amazing things you can do with your children with all that money saved. In reality, I wouldn't be able to afford that anyway. It wouldn't be worth working. Better for everyone to have flexible child friendly working arrangements than needing to claim benefits.

It really is. My work has been flexible way before covid but it's lovely to see the world catching up and more flexible opportunities for women, esp single parents. Also it means if I wanted to change jobs I'm more likely to find a similar set up.

I WFH and I take 4 weeks unpaid parental leave over the summer. Rather than put them in childcare which would cost the same as my wages anyway. Everyone's entitled to request parental leave.

I only have 1 child, when covid hit he was year 4 and started year 5 in the September so was 9 when we started wfh full time with ds at home and he was fine to be home with little need for parental input, able to occupy himself etc, when he was doing school work did need some help and was on a laptop next to me in the kitchen, but in the hols was fine to entertain himself and now while we limit that where we can by taking our annual leave there are around 2-3 weeks over the year where he will just hang around, do his own thing, get his homework done etc while we work.

So the 9 year old fine, I don't know how your 6 year old is and how they are together, it depends on how they behave and how much input they need from you when you are working?

When ds was younger we had help from my parents around 2-3 weeks a year while we used our annual leave to cover the rest - you need to cover around 13 weeks so we have 11 weeks between us, 1 of which we cross over for our family holiday.

Very true!!

9 yo fair enough but the 6'yo will be bored silly and need more input.

You can always give it a go

Completely depends on your children. Mine can happily play/ amuse themselves at home. They’re real home birds. My husband works from home and does exactly this, he will sit with them for a lunch break, play a game or chat etc and the few hours before and after they will happily play, get a snack and drink. I am very organised with squash in one of the big dispenser jugs, fruit, yogurts etc in the fridge. They’re absolutely fine. Biggest thing is getting them to be quiet when he’s on a call

Nothing less than £50 a day where I live. Per child.

Problem asking that question here op is a lot of mumsnet don’t seem to get that some companies are flexible and so long as you get your work done they don’t mind what your day looks like

all these people saying they’d dictate to their staff they must be in an office etc are the kinds of people/companies I’d never work for because I like to work for companies that see their staff as actual people not robots 🙄

At 6 and 9 I think it's fine. They are not babies and don't need supervising. They can play on their own and watch TV with you working. If they were younger I'd say no way! My mum used to work from home during the school holidays (this was in the 80s so literally just paperwork as no internet) and we would just watch telly and play in the garden.

Exactly, what I’ve been saying!

Yes! I often see comments on here how if you're WFH you are not to be disturbed or expected to do a thing, you must be glued to your screen for every minute of your working day. In reality, most people at my large corporate come and go picking up kids and taking walks etc. No.one bats an eye as our outputs are met 💁

Working flexibility 100%, best thing to come out of covid.

Definitely. I don’t have children but hybrid has been a game changer, I would have gone part time otherwise, the commute was a real pain