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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to keep my Monday off rather than swap for a new parent?

189 replies

Orangeducks · 22/05/2026 16:26

I have 3 children 10, 8 and 4. When my eldest was born, I reduced my hours at work to 4 days which worked well. Several other parents have done the same. My colleague is returning to work from mat leave and has been offered a day off but its a Wednesday as they can't cover any other day (customer facing) and she was complaining how other members of staff have had the more desirable Mon/Fri off for many years and they should give that up for new parents. She wasn't talking directly to me but I felt she was annoyed I wouldn't give up my Monday off because my children are 'grown up'. I feel that I have built my life around a Monday off and have so much going on in the week running around after my kids that I still need it. Moreover I have no plans to return to full time as I enjoy the work/life balance and we make financial sacrifices to allow this and I am on a permanent 4 day contract.
Am I being unreasonable to not give up my day for her?

OP posts:
canuckup · Today 02:14

Don't change anything op.

Bunny65 · Today 02:48

She sounds really entitled. She has no right to demand other people reorganise their lives for her. If she wants to work Tues to fri she can look for another job.

Beenwhereyouareagain · Today 03:16

Geepee71 · 22/05/2026 16:30

You are not unreasonable
She should have had children years ago if she wanted different non-working days!

I would not give up a non working Monday nor Friday

"She should have had children years ago if she wanted different non-working days!"

PLEASE don't make hurtful blanket statements like this. You have no knowledge of why the colleague had children now. (I removed the rest of my comment about triple heartbreak pregnancy stories because I doubt you meant to be so unthinking.)

FWIW I don't think the OP is being unreasonable, either.

Ohdearnotthisagain · Today 03:27

She can take her passive aggressive comments comments and fuck all the way off!

SuperSange · Today 06:28

She’s BVU. Everyone else’s working hours are none of her concern. If you choose to work every other Tuesday for half an hour, it’s got fuck all
to do with her. Ignore.

TerfOnATrain · Today 06:33

She will get used to it, I used to do three days and have Friday and Monday off which everyone was envious of, but I found everyone they were absolutely full on squashing everything into those days, calls, meetings, catch up etc.

DD does compressed hours, she has Thursday off which is the least popular day off, as she was last one in. She has grown to love it, she does three long days then has a day off, then does a Friday which is generally steady, then off for two.

ToffeeCrabApple · Today 06:35

I definitely would have wanted the Wednesday!

Its hard though when someone has an established pattern that you'd love but will never be given because they have it. I gave up my friday off recently for a colleague with a baby as I feel I've "had my turn" & mind are both at school anyway.

I worked in a team once where an older colleague with teenagers had apparently "baggsied" certain school holiday weeks forever. We weren't all allowed off at the same time. It took someone going to HR to overturn (HR were horrified).

Perfect28 · Today 06:39

I'm 0.8 but I don't get to choose my day off, I think this is up to you manager rather than you.

Fupoffyagrasshole · Today 06:41

I have bloody Tuesday off op! It was the only viable option.

weird day but I now got used to it and enjoy it

I only work one day then a break haha

and bank holidays I get a 4 day weekend

Sartre · Today 06:43

Actually think Monday is the shittest deal of the bunch thanks to bank holidays… Wouldn’t mind a Wednesday.

MNTouristhere · Today 06:48

Orangeducks · 22/05/2026 16:42

Thanks everyone, I was just checking whether it was unreasonable that I have had one of the most desirable day off for a long time and whether I should let her have it but I feel that it just my established working pattern and I have built my family life around it. She also alluded to the fact that people who were 4 days with older children should return to full time to free up others to have those days but again, I dont want to be full time. We are happy with my 4 days and even when my children are older, I dont want to return to full time. Is thay unreasonable?

Absolutely not unreasonable in either respect as it’s your life and choice. I had Wednesdays off when daughter was little which I I loved but when she was at secondary school was asked to switch to Friday off as work
preferred me to have 4 consecutive days and I waa okwith doing so. I continued to work 4 days until daughter was 18 as was now some time for me - I then dropped to 3 days as a wind down to retirement!

WonderingWanda · Today 06:55

Ignore her. I was pt as a teacher for years and my day off changed every year depending on what produced the least split classes on my timetable. I was just just grateful they let me have whole days off because it teaching part time can mean 4 days but spread over 5 in the most inconvenient way possible.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · Today 07:04

Surely with a young child it doesn’t really make much difference and Wednesday is probably a better day to break up the week (unless you typically have lots of meeting on Wednesdays/ works busy and she probably can’t actually have the full day off)

Peony1985 · Today 07:25

Is she just letting off steam because she's disappointed or is she being actively unkind?

I think it's unprofessional to moan a lot anyway but people (including me) do sometimes let our internal thoughts out into the world.

I agree with people saying Wednesday is the better day.
Easier week mentally. Fridays and Mondays are most expensive travel days. Fridays are too busy, Monday lots of places don't open.

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