Mum guilt!

[frida1985]

I currently work three days a week and have been asked to up this to four after my maternity leave with baby 2. The pay would be higher and the opportunities bigger however my eldest has just started school and I feel awful about wrap around care for her. She used to do 4 days a week at nursery because I had another business and she loved it, but for some reason I feel guilty about wrap around care now she’s at school. She hates going in but is really happy after around 10 minutes, and comes out happy and saying she’s had a lovely day.

The money is about £1k per month extra. My youngest will be going to the same nursery. Before anyone says it, I know it’s first world problems, I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m torn between earning extra to do nice things with them or having less and being able to do the school pick up twice a week.

im also freaking out about what parents do on school holidays if the annual leave is not enough

Are you a single parent?

If not, can your partner also do 4 days?

I think a lot depends on the wraparound offer. Mine really enjoy it - for them, it's been a great way to make friends in other year groups, it's really well run.

I don't really understand why there is so much angst about wraparound in general.

In the holidays, we take some annual leave separately and then the rest of the time is holiday clubs - there's lots of provision around us that is full hours (8-6)

Lose the mum guilt! It’s an unnecessary burden. Crack on with work
Do not let the school gate mother superiors get a whiff of mum guilt,they’ll be all over that. Prophesies of gloom and failure. Like a bunch of housewives are ever going to give you objective advice .
You will need Mix Of AL and planned childcare. achievable , just be organised
Do you have a partner? Family? to help

We both work and our kids have been to nursery and then started school so wraparound and holiday clubs/ childminder and it has done them no harm whatsoever. Why is this even a debate??
Ive never had an issue with this and don’t understand why people do infact -
more people have this arrangement than not!! There are very few parents who don’t work where we are - we juggle the days a bit so we can both do a school run with some working from home but childcare is very much the norm!!

It sounds like a great opportunity! Is there another option for childcare other than WAC? Even for a couple of days.

My son is 5 and is exhausted at the end of the school day so I feel like WAC is not suitable for us at this stage (also have a 2yo) so we have a nanny do school pick up and everyone is home by 3.30pm for a chilled afternoon.
Once they are both >6yo I will look at WAC and presumably they will both have clubs/sport by then.