To question my ability to work full time

[Boxoffluffyducks]

I currently work PT, two days a week, on a contract that is finishing soon.

The same workplace would like to offer me a full-time role. I am hesitant to accept it because I don’t think I will be able to manage very well. My DDs are 7 and 11, and the younger one is already not very happy in wraparound care.

We can manage on one income (just!), but no room for many extras. I already feel stressed, so can only imagine this will multiple tenfold with FT work.

help!!!

I couldn’t do it. I’ve moved from 3 short days to 4 and that feels enough. Two teen boys. No cleaner. Lots of sport to ing and fro ing. I would die of stress with any more work

Can you do 4 longer days, 1 day off and use the extra money to outsource cleaning/childminder and still have money left over
If you’re not able to/money isn’t enough to make your life easier and still have some left over then I wouldn’t.
Id rather be poorer and happy with my children content then have more money and be miserable if as a family you can live on one wage

Having to work full time would break me as well!! I have a 10, 8 and 6 year old for context. I don’t want them in wrap around care before and after school. My hours will be upped when they are a bit more “launched”, maybe teenage years. I know not everyone has this choice financially though. Just wanted to say don’t feel ashamed for feeling this way, I think it’s completely normal. In fact I think the newish trend of both parents working full time is a little dysfunctional from a human being perspective tbh. But unfortunately necessary from a economic perspective (or so we are led to believe)

I think your question is possibly wrong. Unless you have disabilities or health issues which you haven't mentioned in your posts so far, then it presumably isn't a question of whether or not you are able to work full time? It's simply a question of whether or not you want to work full time.

Don't do it. It doesn't matter what anyone else does, it's how you feel. It'll benefit your family more with you being there, than it will feeling constantly worried, exhausted and stressed. You can always increase your hours in the future, but it's not the right time now.

But the option she has right now is not to work and things will be tight for the family or work 4-5 days a week and they would be better off financially. So it's not a question of staying as she is or increasing the hours. Of course something with less hours might come up but in today's climate who knows when.

Get a cleaner
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Apply for and take 4 weeks' parental leave every year

Just a few ideas above to help you cope

So very true!

Mrs Bennett, I fear you are making many, many presumptions here! There are so many things that materially affect a woman’s ability to work full time , which cannot be directly attributed to ill health or disability.
Fear your post tends to make OP feel inadequate, quite baselessly.
Please rethink!

Consider a childminder instead of wrap around?

Be wary of 0.8 contracts - can end up being same work in shorter hours (my situation!)

How is your health otherwise OP? Obviously there might not be anything wrong, and you might make the changes you need, but its important to listen to your body, and you might feel a bit less knackered by making changes at work, but its 100% worth just having a bit of a review of your diet/water/exercise/sleep/screen time etc and seeing if there's maybe something else there that might not be the main cause, but could do with a boost. Easier said than done but its easy to point to one thing thats causing tiredness and if you feel a bit better going 'job done' when there might be other factors at play, looking after yourself is just as important as your children - you deserve care too.