I am returning to work at the very end of the year. This is a necessity thing as if I didn’t we wouldn’t have any disposable income or means of saving. DH and I don’t want to send baby DS to nursery until he is older. It’s a personal choice thing but our minds are set. (I know there are pros and cons but we just don’t feel it right for our family). We have both altered our working patterns ahead of my return in attempt to accommodate this and be working at mainly opposite times. DH is working longer days but less of them. His rota repeats every few months but chops and changes within that, no two weeks are the same.
My mum has kindly offered to support us occasionally when we are both at work. I have planned and had approved 3 fixed working days, however, that means relying on my mum at least once a week (or some weeks not but the next week two days).
We have looked at the schedules and figured out if I drop one additional day and work only 2 days, it means we are only relying on her once every fortnight. If she is unavailable we plan to book annual leave, my employer is usually very flexible with that.
That’s much more manageable with two working days than 3, isn’t it? I’m nervous though. 3 days from 5 is a big enough pay cut and I am anxious about the prospect of cutting down any more, although I am fortunate that there is the option to do it on a temporary basis.