To ask to do this or will my manager think it’s taking the piss?

[Heaaag]

I’m worn down so my perspective is probably off.

Single parent, dd 3. I have been taking one day annual leave a week annual leave since she turned two (I get a lot of leave so just about managed it over 52 weeks). I managed to do this as we had three changes in management and it just got put through and approved

recent manager is here to stay. I like him. But he is always talking about people having proper breaks and a full week off etc. I absolutely do not need a week off as I can’t think of anything more stressful than 7 full days with dd without a break at this age. I am a lone parent so do absolutely everything for her and already have lots of time together before and after nursery and weekends and the one day annual leave in the week. Work is a break for me. I get that unless you’re a lone parent it’s hard to understand that.

i want to continue this annual leave pattern until she is 4 and closer to going to school. I am going to ask and obviously nobody here can tell me what he will say. But do you think I should entitled? I do always have my work phone and check in if needed and have worked on my days off etc so I intend on reminding him of this. But does it sound entitled? Will it make me seem a bit of a dick? I know I’ve already had this luxury longer than most would after maternity leave.

It would be OK at my work so long as it wasn't Fridays as most people want to take a Friday if they want a long weekend and the need for cover.

yes, also agree with @KreedKafer
I can't see how you're being entitled, everyone is allowed the same no. of leave days, unless there is a policy in place that says otherwise, it is up to you how you allocate them. I wouldn't even go in with the attitude I'm asking for anything special, you're just putting your leave in for the days you want just like anyone else.

Unless your manager thinks its detrimental to the effective working of the organisation (and he should have to evidence this, which will be harder if you've been doing it for the last year with no issues), then there's no reason to reject it. The fact that he would prefer at least 1 week off straight is of no relevance to you - again, unless there's a policy which specifically states that, which in fairness many companies do have, but given your leave has been approved I assume yours doesn't - then his preference is just that, he can't impose it on staff who have other preferences, priorities, and commitments.

Not sure. Depends on what happens in your job when you're not there. In one of the teams I manage for example, finding cover or cancelling the service for a week or two week block would be far more viable than finding cover a day a week every week.
Also, whether you wanted the same day off each week. I'd not want someone booking up every Friday for a year for instance, as that would reduce other people's options to have that popular day off.
I'd be a bit concerned too that you never got a 'proper break'. What you did with that or whether you'd rather be at work would be irrelevant really as we have policies to ensure staff take 'proper' leave as part if our duty of care.
Lastly, there's no way I'd commit to it for the long term, like 4 years, as there's no way of knowing how the business needs might change and I'd not let any leave pattern occur that could become custom and practise and an implied term.

I see the logic but I'm pretty sure HR wouldn't like this very much. I'm also jealous that you presumably get 48 days of annual leave or so!!

Recycling and updating a post from a previous thread:

I've been doing this (alternate weeks) for over two years, alternating with dp to reduce nursery to 4 days/week.

It's a total win for us as we don't have family locally to help with childcare. At 5 days we were over the cap for tax free childcare so dropping that day made a big difference financially.

Manager discouraged it at first but agreed to trial and it's kept going. They were concerned I wouldn't get a full week off often, but I argued it on the basis that we couldn't afford to go away on holiday anyway while paying for 5 days nursery, can't inflict ourselves as guests of relatives for a full week, and a week looking after a toddler at home is not a holiday! With the 4-day arrangement we get away more often to see family for long weekends so toddler sees family more than they otherwise would.

This only works because we both have long service in the public sector so higher AL entitlement than many people, and also flexitime and good provision of other leave.

It is tough when the workload is high and I'm squeezing 5 days into 4 but I generally catch up the following week. We tend to manage one actual week's holiday (uk) plus a week at Christmas.

That AL day each week is treasured special quality time where we can go to groups or classes that don't run on weekends and can hang out with mum friends who have family time at weekends. We have done ten days off at home on delightful occasions like potty training and chicken pox and I really wouldn't wish that on anyone! Definitely worth asking OP. Hope this helps.