how many hours a week do you work????

[lavender1]

Just wondering, if your children are still school age, and you don't work 9 to 5, how many hours are you expected to work, without it putting upon you? Does anyone do 30 hours plus with under 10's and how the hell do you manage things??..(think 25 hours a week with 7's and 8's is quite reasonable, maybe you disagree!!!).

My DS twins are 5.5 and since they were born I've worked 22.5 hours(3 full days) a week. I work flexi so can drop off in the morning and make it up at the end of the day, DH picks up from school, he goes in early and only does 30 hours a week. It seems to work really well, we no longer have to pay childcare,and can drop off and pick up the boys ourselves.
I now get two days a week free, while they are in school, and can have some "me" time( as long as I get all the housework done as well).

I work 12 hours a week (2 kids under 12) plus paperwork at home. It's quite manageable, though the paperwork can take over if you're not careful. My actual hours are strictly school hours with hols too but the downside is the pay.

I have 2 DDs aged 5 & 3 and currently work from 0915 (I do manage to drop them at school/nursery most days) until 1930, or 1900 on a good day. I get no paid over time and no time off for working longer than 9-5. I have a live in nanny who also does general cleaning and someone who comes in to iron. I don't "manage" at all - I feel I am barely keeping my head above water and we frequently run out of basics like milk as I don't have time to get to the shops before they shut. DH works similar hours. I'd like to work more flexible hours but my boss seems to think that letting me come in as late as 0915 is flexible enough! I am hoping the workload will tail off in the summer and have booked 5 weeks leave - I just hope I can take it all!

I have just gone up to 3 days, although 3rd at home, and already I'm finding it hard. I think there is an unsaid message from employers that once your children reach school-age, they automatically need you less and you are available for more hours...as mine reach the teen years I feel that is not true. I've been lucky in that I've been able to work f/t, 1 day per week and 2 days per week and now 1 xtra at home, however I have to leave at 7.15am and often I'm the only one awake, that's a killer!

I have a dd aged 3. I am contracted to work for 21 hours per week, but actually work more hours than this on the 3 days in the office. I then do an extra half or 2 half days if it is needed. I try to do these from home and claim payment for the extra hours. I find that this has worked well. I am now on my second line manager with this arrangement and luckily they have agreed it. I feel really fortunate.

I work from 9.30-2.30 3 days per week from home but I invariably work longer hours if the project demands it. As my working hours are when the children are out at school I try not to do the housework/tidy up/iron etc. Unfortunately dh thinks because I am at home then these things should be done. I get sod all done before taking the kids to school in the morning and by the time I get back it's time to make a start on my job. I try to stop at 2.30 to make myself a bite to eat and then its off to school to collect, back in my 3.30 and dh generally comes home at 4pm expecting the house to be pristine. Obviously still taking calls in the evening whilst trying to get evening meal/homework/extra curricular activities etc. I then spend the next 2 days freelancing for my sister's company whilst also trying to squeeze in some voluntary work at school one morning a week. How the full timers manage I will never know!

I has a ds (2.9) and do 8 to 5.30 minimum, 5 days a week, plus extra at least a couple of evenings a week and some weekends, and at least 15 hours (sometime more) commuting on top of that - on a typical weekday it averages about 13 hours a day door to door including travelling. No help other than dh doing the nursery drop-offs and pickups. How do I manage things? I don't (house is a tip, garden is overrun with weeds, etc). Would love to do less, but unless I could cut hours in current job (which employer won't agree to) I'd be unlikely to get the same rate for anything part-time. And couldn't afford a rate cut and an hours cut at the same time (dh won't agree to that much of an income drop). I'm just dreaming now of ds actually starting school, so that if I can stop paying nursery fees I can afford to cut back one way or another.

With 2 dd (aged 6 and 4) I have always just worked 15 hours a week and find that ideal.

Unfortunately I'm a single parent getting no maintenance and I need to earn more so when dd2 starts school in Sept I am hoping to go up to 30 hours or even full-time. I am dreading it and know I can only cope if I get a cleaner and a child-minder to take the pressure off my Mum for school drop offs and pick ups but at least I'll be earning twice as much.

I think working full-time and running a house and kids is a really tough call.

Since ds was 18wks old I have worked a 40 hour week.... as the mainearner I had no choice.

I changed jobs a year ago and work 36.5hrs, but an extra 3hrs a day commute. Just about to go on Maternity leave and have NO INTENTIONS of working fulltime for a wee while yet.

I do four longish days (normally 8-6) plus stuff in the evenings at home - effectively 80% of what I did when I was full time. I have two DDs aged 1 and 3. When I am not at work I spend all my time with them (when they are awake) so have very little time to myself. Am constantly tired and run my life with lists ! When the little one is older maybe i will get some time for myself.

35 hours per week with DD aged 3y.
Commute is about 30 mins each way including dropping off/collecting DD. Occasionally do stuff at home but I'm pretty good at managing my time. There are also weeks when there are exceptional circumstances so I work longer and DH covers for me (e.g. we have graduation ceremonies coming up).

it's not that bad, but we have a cleaner and constantly falling standards of tidiness etc.

Full time but work one day from home. DH drops DS off at nursery and I pick him up. Work in London so 2 and 1/2 hours travelling each day.

We leave the house at 7 and get back at 6.30pm.

Spend all the time I can with DS to try and assuage the guilt of leaving him in a nursery all day. For the same reason I still make DS's food (keep saying I'll switch to jars but ....) so spend time doing this rather than housework!!

Have the odd hour to myself in the morning at weeekends when DH insists on sorting DS out by himself to give me a break.

BR

Sorrry, DS is 9 1/2 months.