To think it’s uncommon to both work full time with small kids?

[workingFTM]

I’m on maternity leave and thinking about my options for how many hours I’ll do when I return. Among those I know pretty much everyone is back part time after having a baby. Would you say it’s the same among those you know? In all families with young kids that I know, at least one parent has some kind of flexible working arrangement and if they don’t then family usually do all or some of the childcare. It’s a balance as I want max time off with my baby first and foremost but equally want to make sure I keep my foot in the door career wise for all sorts of reasons.

Surely this will depend hugely on a) both partners’ earnings and b) both partners’ hours.

If you both work 35-40 hrs a week then staying full time is a lot more manageable than if one or both of you works in a job where “full time” can be 80+ hrs on a bad week and 50 hours on a good week.

Conversely those 50-80 hr jobs are often well paid (City professionals eg) so there is less financial need for both partners to stay full time.

There must be uk level data on this - in my area, it looks anecdotally as though a lot of SAH and PT work but clearly that's a luxury choice.

www.wbg.org.uk/publication/women-and-the-labour-market/

Most people I know work full time.

So 77 percent of mums with dependent children are doing some work but clearly not granular enough to factor in how many hours, region etc.

ilostat.ilo.org/blog/women-with-young-children-have-much-lower-labour-force-participation-rates/

My partner worked full time - no option for any flexible working either. So with my first I went back full time. I had to find a new job and there were no part-time posts. After my 2nd 3 years later (I waited to qualify for mat leave) I returned 4 days a week but mostly because my eldest was starting school. Nursery and afterschool fees would have killed me and found school hours so much harder to cover . So actually glad I did it that way round had built up my career to be able to go part time and now work flexibly from home.

https://ifs.org.uk/sites/default/files/outputurll_files/BN234.pdf

This one also interesting. I found part time 4 days harder in a work context although obviously the time off was great.

We did after first child, it was hard going but I went part time after second after realising we just could not balance it.

At that point I also realised that actually knew no one where both parents both full time with one than one child ( young children) . I guess it depends where you live etc, which probably has a knock on effect with childcare. I do know a few people who work full time ( 35 hours) but compressed hours. I work nearly that in my 3 days for 3 days pay ( teacher but that is a completely different story !) Job flexibility probably impacts whether you can both be full time.

Would love to go back part time but we can’t afford it - no subsidised childcare here until 3, even with the increased childcare bill reducing my salary by 20% or more means we would be struggling to keep up with the cost of living every month. It’s close but every £ is needed at the moment as much as I wish I could stay at home. Even 5 years ago we would have managed for me to drop to 4 days on our current salaries.

Childcare is £240 more a month for 5 days instead of 4, I would lose out on £440 a month if I dropped a day. The difference covers our council tax.

All of my friends have had to keep working full time. I have always worked full time. It's really hard when kids are little but I've had 2 promotions and my pension pot is large so it probably works out for the best long term. If money was no issue then I would have loved to have stayed home full time with my boys or at least part time but it's a struggle to pay for everything on a good full time wage let alone part time. I think it's a luxury very few people can afford but if you can afford it then go for it.

I went back FT when dd was 5 months old (all the mat leave available at the time and an extra month unpaid), DH was also FT. When she was 9 months old, I started a FT Masters academic programme for a year (which meant essays being written every second weekend, as well as full weeks of lectures), then back to FT work.

We just juggled all the way through - including when DH was away overseas (the other side of the globe) for 2 weeks in every 4 for a period of 4 years in the last recession. And often both of us having international travel commitments and well beyond normal FT roles.

Dd went to Creche near our offices when she was small (so she commuted with us, was easy to get to if she was ill, or could come into the office with us if need be for a half hour at the end of the day (6:30) to finish something off before going home).

When she went to school, an afterschool club collected her and we had to be there by 6pm to collect her. So that was more complicated both from a timing perspective and issues with traffic on occasions.

We didn't have family living near us to help out - DH and I juggled a lot. If DD was ill, we'd see who had non-negotiable meetings, and do a lot of WFH before that was a thing, usually by one going in at 06:30, swooping over at lunch (in the city of dd was well enough for a car journey, but at home if not), and the afternoon person working until 19:30, and both catching up at home once she was in bed for the night. Luckily, we had at least somewhat understanding managers who saw we managed to reach deadlines despite it all, and that we put in a lot of extras when we needed to otherwise as well so they gave some flexibility back when we needed it.

I agree, you can relatively easily do less than full-time at the GLD, and also at the CPS. I know several women barristers who went in-house at the GLD/CPS essentially in order to get maternity pay, maternity leave and the various possibilities of flexible working and part-time. Staying at the self-employed Bar makes it very tricky. Courts quite regularly email solicitors or barristers' clerks saying things such as, "we cannot take Counsel's convenience into account...."

Both DH and I do far more than a 35-40 hour "full-time", but although we have two children, we didn't have two small children at the same time. DS1 was about to turn 9 when DS2 was born. We're both lawyers, so full-time can be really terrible hours some weeks.

It varies by job I think. From my antenatal group only those in more professional roles went back FT. Those on less well paid jobs went back PT.

I don't think it has to do with family available for child care - children went to nursery FT when both parents worked FT

It’s quite split in my circle but all work FT when kids at school.

To be fair I think this depends what you earn. I think if you are practically paying to go back to work you are less likely to work full time. Having family do some childcare definitely helped us and families we know work more hours as we had less childcare to pay out. We often said if we had to pay full time childcare my husband would have given up work until the kids went to school.

Yes, I agree. Those who earn more are more likely to go back FT as they can afford to pay FT child care. I know very few people who rely on family for childcare.

I went back to work FT after both of mine. It was easier when they at nursery. I reduced my hours for primary l, it meant I could do the pick up 3 days a week and now my youngest is at secondary I’m back to FT.

Both husband and I can WFH so it means one of us is in the house at least! We don’t have family near by so it was tough during the nursery years with illness.

Myself and DH worked full time when DD's were young, although DH did change his job when DD1 reached school age which meant he could do shift work and either take or collect from school.

Most people I know return to work full time but not sure whether that is through choice or whether they need to financially.

I worked full time after maternity leave. I’m not aware of anyone in my company work area who works part time so just never considered it as an option. We used a childminder before DD went to school, now both DH and I WFH most of the time so do the school run around work.

We work ft but only have 1 dc and I work 9-5 while dh works 7-3 - which is great from a childcare perspective-.I do drop.off, dh does pick up - dh also wfh ft (even before covid) and I am hybrid wfh 3 days (since covid) so it has been great. We divide and conquer on the holidays as I have 6 weeks and dh 5 so we cover a majority of the holidays between us, with my parents helping out a few days of the holidays when he was younger, but not a worry now he is older.

My employers have been flexible about getting to school sports days, assemblies etc (but I have always been one to go above and beyond at work which builds that good will)

Most people I know with young kids both work full time and the kids go to nursery. Some have help a day or two a week from grandparents who have the kid(s) on those days, saving childcare costs.

These are all people in professional services types of jobs. Most of the women (probably some of the men!) would like to do less time at work, but I suppose they recognise that it's a short period of time and potentially a big drag on career progression to do less.

One friend does 2 days a week while her DH does the other 3, so no need for childcare and that works for them. They are extremely well paid though.

We are outside London and I don't know any women who work full time with primary age kids and many still work part time woth secondary kids. Statistically, more women work part-time time with each decade, eg more in 40s than 30s, more in 50s than 60s.