How many hours a week do you work as a single parent?

[Howmanyistoomany]

I’m currently working full time which I’m managing with lots of help from grandparents for drop offs, plus after school and breakfast clubs. Her dad gets her 2 nights a week and takes her one morning.

it just feels so tight all the time! And grandparents have to get up so early to get to my house so I can go to work that my guilt is huuuuge.

I’m lucky in that I could go to half my hours (2.5 days instead of 5) and still manage financially albeit with no real wriggle room. But then my job would be harder because I’d only be in half the time!

I really don’t know what to do, so I thought I’d ask what others do and how they manage for ideas and solidarity! How many hours do you work?

35 hours a week in a school 4 days a week childminder drop off 8am pick up 4:30 my mum has her one day and I get 85% paid for and then 15 free hours in January. It’s hard because this is the first month I’ve been full time but in 2 weeks It’s the holidays and I will make sure she has time with me. We are currently on a 4 day long wekend which I’m grateful for.

45 hours

@Howmanyistoomany I have a working pattern which has been brilliant for me.

I work 32 hours over 5 days. Start at 9:30 so was always able to do drop offs when DD was younger, then work until 5:30 except Wednesday and Friday when I finish at 3pm.

Used after school clubs for the long days and picked up from school on the shorter days. It meant I was very present at work but also allowed me the ability to interact with the school which is important at primary. The shorter days really helped with the "hamster wheel" effect.

Now DD is getting older it's given me a lot more time to myself and I feel a bit guilty about that (is there nothing we don't feel guilty about?) I feel like I should go back to full time but I can manage without doing so (decent salary, no benefits). I'm pretty tired from the earlier years so trying to take this as a win for me.

As to holiday ex does some and I've used various playschemes over the years.