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Original poster

Best day to have off work/ nursery

30 replies

MissTwister · 04/02/2015 10:00

Hi All

Although it is a ridiculously long way off I have to decide which day I would want to take off work/ off nursery (to spend with a baby that's not even yet born!) in order to secure a space for 2016.

What day's do you take? Work would prefer it if I take a Friday off, I would prefer to take a Monday but really it would be down to what's best for the child. Someone mentioned to me there's lots of play dates and stuff on Fridays so I wouldn't want to miss out on that. What do you all think?

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CusheyButterfield · 04/02/2015 10:06

I don't think it matters much either way, really. At my dd's nursery, Friday is their quietest day, so I don't think that it would necessarily mean missing out on play dates. Lots of children go on different days, so it may be that your child's friends don't attend on a specific day either. My personal preference was for a day off on either Mon or Fri, so that there wasn't confusion for my dd with having a day in nursery, then a day off, then back to nursery again.

I don't work on Mondays or Tuesdays and it means my dh has an easier start to the week too, as we aren't doing the rushing out of the door until later in the week. It's about what suits you as a family, really.

WhatAHooHa · 04/02/2015 10:08

I used to like having a Wednesday off as it broke the week into 2 shorter weeks!

Graciescotland · 04/02/2015 10:11

So many nurseries charge for bank holiday Monday's when they're closed. It's especially annoying when you have to work yourself and are forking out for two lots of childcare.

On that basis I'd probably work Tues- Fri.

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senua · 04/02/2015 10:12

Don't do Mondays. It gets very complicated trying to work out fairness (of pay, holiday entitlement etc) because of so many Bank Holidays being on a Monday.

jamaisjedors · 04/02/2015 10:15

Wednesday is standard in France (no school for primary-aged children in most areas) and it's actually lovely to already feel like it's the weekend on a Tuesday night!

Plus it breaks up the week into really manageable chunks.

However I often end up doing quite a lot of work/emails/calls from home because Wednesday seems to be quite a productive day for other people.

Brambles34 · 04/02/2015 10:24

Where I work.....always take Monday's off!!! Because of BH, PT people get given the equivalent days off in AL to take whenever they want whereas if I worked on a Monday, I would have to take the leave on the actual BH days. Agree that it gets confusing etc to work it out but I work somewhere where we have people to work that out for us! :-)

ZenNudist · 04/02/2015 10:37

I have Monday off. I used to have Fridays. I find Monday works better in my job because it's a slow day where's Friday is the day projects finish on and i can't change deadlines to Thursdays just because it suits me.

I much prefer being in work on a Friday as I get to go on team lunches, casual clothes days, work drinks, charity 'events', office beanos. I used to miss out on this when I was off Fridays because full timers want to do the fun stuff at the end of the week.

You're legally entitled to a pro Rata share of whatever bank holidays you miss, so no disadvantage there but equally I get all the benefit of most of the nursery days. Eg. If it were a bank holiday week and I worked Monday usually id be paying for it but not using it.

I also know people have said a mid week break works for them to break up week nicely and dc only spend 2 consecutive days at nursery. Whatever works for you. Personally I like a 'long weekend'.

If I were you I'd secure tues-Thursday now as those are the in demand days.

Brambles34 · 04/02/2015 10:48

Work Monday = moody colleagues
Work Friday = happy 'Friday feeling' colleagues

GoooRooo · 04/02/2015 11:03

I have Wednesdays off. I would prefer to have either Monday or Friday but the way my work week is structured it's not possible. Everyone 'forgets' that I don't work on Wedensdays and I get phone calls on my mobile ALL THE TIME. In the summer it's not so bad as I live by the beach and get no mobile reception there so take DS down to the sand for the day

Original poster

MissTwister · 04/02/2015 11:07

Thanks for all the tips. We get paid for the BH Mondays if we don't work them so that works out well. Monday all round seems to be the favourite here.

What about the play dates/ mum meet ups thing, is this not something that particularly happens on a Friday in your opinions?

thanks!

OP posts:

Brambles34 · 04/02/2015 11:17

Most of my mummy friend are either SAHM or have Monday's off

Pooseyfrumpture · 04/02/2015 12:14

Wednesday.
You get two Fridays in every week.

BikeRunSki · 04/02/2015 12:16

Mondays for me. The way part timers bank hol allowance is calculated at my work, i benefit from not working Mondays.

chipsandpeas · 04/02/2015 12:17

if it were me, id be looking towards further in time, our local schools close at lunchtime on a friday, so can be a nightmare for childcare for people who work friday
just in case theres something similar in your area

NormHonal · 04/02/2015 12:18

Mondays are better for the Bank Holidays thing, but I have now found that Fridays work better for meet-ups with others, who all seem to take Fridays off, and for giving my DC2 a bit of a break (and a chance for a really good play or nap at home, if needed) before the weekend begins.

MiaowTheCat · 04/02/2015 14:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RiverTam · 04/02/2015 14:23

Friday is quite a nice day at nursery as it's a bit quieter, so I would go for having Monday as your day off, especially as it's what you want to do anyway. DD really enjoyed Fridays at nursery.

I didn't really meet up that much, would go to my mum's or just pootle about with DD. Everyone seemed to have different days off anyway.

Jackiebrambles · 04/02/2015 14:28

I have monday's off and it works well for me. I get extra days holiday for the bank holidays that I don't benefit from.

Our nursery is very quiet on a friday and I did try to get DS in on a monday once as a one off (as I had a hospital appointment) and couldn't get him in as they don't have space!

Most people have different off days. Of my NCT friends and 'mummy circle' a few are SAHMs, some have friday off, some have thursdays off and at least 4 of us have mondays off. We were friends during mat leave so all agreed we would try to have similar days off if we could but of course it comes down to what your employer will agree.

Original poster

MissTwister · 04/02/2015 15:01

Thanks Ladies, this is fantastic input and is so helpful

I love the thought of avoiding dress up days, I can't sew or make things for the life of me!!

OP posts:

mrsmugoo · 04/02/2015 16:03

I work Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays which is great because it's two on, two off, Friday on, then weekend.

I feel like I have a good presence in the office by being there at the beginning and the end of the week but I never have to work more than two days in a row.

Andcake · 04/02/2015 17:17

I don't work Fridays and love having 3 days at home in a row.Although a friend has Wednesdays and likes it breaking up the week - although a few times when i took Wednesdays off I still thought about work so it wasn't really like a day off. Also at the groups i take ds to on a Friday it felt like their were a lot of working mums and not so many sahm so I felt I had more in common with them in some way.

museumum · 04/02/2015 17:23

I used to have Monday and Friday.
Around here there is very little on Mondays - no library sessions (except the one in polish) for example. I often struggled to fill my Mondays.
Lots of my mum friends have Friday's off and I started baby swimming during mat leave on a Friday so we had the continuity of that and routine and friends (we go for lunch together after the class).

museumum · 04/02/2015 17:24

Also. Dh comes home much earlier in a Friday so we can all eat together which is nice.

nottheOP · 04/02/2015 17:32

I have Mondays off. I don't enjoy baby groups but when I've looked Monday is a very quiet day. Friday has lots more.

I enjoy the 3 day weekend a lot. Thinking of sticking with it for quite a while longer than intended as it's so useful having an extra administration day where everything is open.

Pico2 · 04/02/2015 18:02

I had Wednesdays. That meant no more than 2 days at work in any stretch, but, more importantly, fitted around the one activity I wanted DD to do.

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