Advice please - returning to work after second child

[wewereonabreaaaaak]

I’m after some advice about what I should do when I return to work in April after having my second baby please! I basically have two options that I’m deciding between:

1. Return full time (which I did after my first baby) where there is the opportunity of a promotion covering my manager’s maternity leave. This would mean a big salary increase and would give me development opportunities that haven’t arisen in the last seven years of working there. It would mean less working from home but would only be for a year and would ultimately give me more career opportunities for the future. It would be a big step up from my current role so would be a big change and adjustment for me and my family; especially after a year of maternity leave.

2. Put a flexible working request in to drop a day and work four days a week leaving me with a day at home to spend with my second child and able to do the school run with my eldest etc. I’m not sure if this would even be accepted by work or what role I would do but I know it’s within my rights to request it. I would love to work part-time but four days is all I am able to afford to reduce to. Not many people work part time in my company and it does have that ‘stigma’ around it which concerns me.

For context I currently earn around £10k more a year than my DH so guess I would be considered the ‘breadwinner’. I’ve considered compressed hours but I am contracted to 40 hours a week so would need to do ten hours a day to drop down to a four day week which isn’t feasible considering my commute etc. I try to talk to my husband but he doesn’t have much input other than ‘do whatever makes you happy’. After I had my first baby my husband dropped a day to take care of our son but only lasted about a month as he couldn’t handle it (rolls eyes) so him going part-time isn’t really a viable option. I spoke to my mum she said ‘well both of you can’t work full-time’ which just got my back up as lots of families have both parents working full-time. Especially in this cost-of-living nightmare that we are all in.

I guess I’m just after some outside opinions/advice/similar experiences as right now I just can’t decide what is best for either me or my family

I would go for option 1 and put a rocket up your DH’s arse

for context I’ve always worked full time as has my DH and have two kids
get really good childcare, option 1 and develop a great career which will be fulfilling

@rubyslippers thank you! We have really good childcare in place and the baby will go to the same nursery my eldest went to (which was wonderful) so I have no concerns about that side of it. It’s just frustrating how so many people automatically assume, my mother included, that I will or even can go part-time now we have two kids!

You’re welcome
also with the cost of living crisis two incomes feels very helpful and to have a job with progression is really great
id go for it

This depends on you and what you want. The two paths are similar to those taken by me and a colleague. My youngest is now 11 and I am still part time and have not progressed since my first baby (now 13). Colleague who started after me in the same job as me is now head of department, also with two kids.

I would not have it any other way and I don't think she would either. It's incredible what she has done but I don't want it.