to work part time?!

[Mondayblues23]

Or should this be "AIBU to expect people not to comment on it? By people I mean my best friends.

I work 25 hours per week spread across 3 days, I have absolutely no help from my family (not their fault) so DS has to go to nursery. If I worked another day then after travel, nursery etc I'd be working for around £10 per day.

My friends ALWAYS comment on this. They call me lucky, say they wished their job would let them do it & ask how I can afford it. It's almost like they forget I only get paid part time hours too.

We aren't well off by any means. Just average, we don't go on lavish holidays or have expensive meals etc but we get by until DS goes to school & I can do more hours.

Does any one else working part time feel wracked with guilt all the time? My two days off are spent entertaining a very energetic toddler, which is frankly exhausting!

Well part-time work can be ideal option for mothers of young children, and a lot of people are not able to do it either financially or because of the nature of their work - so maybe you do seem lucky to your friends, and maybe they do wonder how you can afford it when they can't.
That doesn't make your choice wrong, and maybe you are in your fortunate position because of good planning and previous choices, but you are still in a good position compared with many people, and maybe your friends are a teeny bit envious.
You are talking about your best friends here, you should be able to be honest, and explain what you have said here, that financially this is the best choice for you ,but that you have taken a financial hit which affects your lifestyle. I don't quite understand why you haven't had this conversation, and why you can't see that you are lucky to be in your position.
As for feeling guilty, well, get used to it... as a mother you will always feel guilty about something! We all want to do the best for our children, but compromises have to be made.

@DelphiniumBlue Thank you for your reply.

Probably because I see it as the flip side of the coin, because I don't earn a very good wage, have an old rusty car, live in a tiny house......I don't see it so as much as luck but more a a necessity.

It's not financially viable for me to work more hours.

Perhaps that's just me, I try not to question people's life choices.

Yanbu. I'm still part time and mine are teens. Not what I planned but my younger child has issues that need a lot of support.

Yanbu