AIBU to take another year off work?

[Animallover87]

I'm currently half way through mat leave with my first (and only) baby.

I've been offered the opportunity to take another (unpaid) year from my company. It won't in any way affect my job prospects afterwards and I would slot back into the same job.

My DH is happy for me to do this and can cover all the bills on his salary but there isn't much left to spare afterwards so we'd need to tighten our belts but it's definitely doable.

I would rather look after my baby myself for another year than send him to childcare (no family support)

Would you do it?

@Stephne2 that would be lovely but we absolutely couldn't afford the luxury of having the same days off! The whole point would be to cover childcare!

Thats a shame, it’s just what I’ve observed, not so bad if it’s only a day a week dad drops to do childcare and couples where dad works full time and mum works part time seem quite happy.
The one advantage of the opposite days is not having the stress about having to take time off work when baby sick and they do tend to suffer a lot of sickness in those first few months at nursery so can see the advantage of perhaps this in those first few months back at work but it’s not an arrangement I see many couples being happy with longer term. Although DC would obviously have to be in nursery during some of that time to be building that immunity

With our next one we’re hoping to enrol DC very part time at nursery as soon as start accumulated annual leave at end of maternity leave and then DH have some leave once I go back to work so to get us through at least the first few months of the illnesses

@Stephne2 we're both teachers so would have evenings and weekends together anyway!

I’ve seen people who work 9-5 try this out and still the same but it really depends on you both, your DH might be the sort of person who absolutely loves every minute of time with DC, builds a circle of friends, doesn’t mind going to baby groups, clears up after himself and DC, doesn’t ask you what’s for dinner when you’ve just got in from work etc so it might work like a dream. That just hasn’t been the reality for couples I have known and they’re found it a lot easier to just pick up a child after work who has been fed and go home to a house as they left it that morning. However if something your both keen on then give it a try, don’t think your DP will have any problems going back full time if wanted
to in teaching. Hopefully you’ll be one of those couples that are really happy with the arrangement

Agree about it being easier to pick child up having been fed and come back to house how you've left it! Rather than if they've been there being looked after by someone else (DH in this case). But I guess that's a case by case basis.

I'd go childminder rather than nursery though (for the other days), much less sickness, and then they can build up to being in a larger group when a bit older.

Definitely do it! I'm a teacher too and it is challenging fitting your work in around childcare, working when the little one is in bed, being your lovely self for the kids when you've had 2 hours sleep cos they are still teething at 18 months.... Enjoy your baby while you can, they're only little once! Honestly, you will never regret it