What are the ideal working hours after mat leave?

[Starry4321]

Hello! I am currently on mat leave and having a think about my return to work (September time). I wondered what people’s experience are of days working per week after mat leave? Did you do full time or part time what would you recommend?

My current plan is
Part time (3 days per week, 9-5.30pm)
2 of these days will be office based and one from home.
So that works out as 2 days in the office 1 from home.

Does this sound like I will still have an ok work home balance?

Breaatfeeding still so will need to figure that out. For context my job was full time high demand role so it will be reduced schedule from before.

Yes!
3 days is perfect. I am going to move from 3 days to 4 soon (can’t afford it) and I’ve done few 4 day weeks and I hate it so much.

Are you a single parent? It depends a lot on what your partner does as to what is manageable. If you can avoid both working full time personally I would (having worked most different arrangements) as that is hard going but the 'ideal' depends massively on both of your jobs, personalities and childcare arrangements.

My husband works full time. His job is work from home with some appointments out and about day to day. Financially he would need to continue working full time to allow me to do part time.

We’re both doing compressed hours (4.5 days in 4 days), so we have a day off each and only need 3 days nursery

I work 7am-5pm 3 days a week so it's (almost) the hours of a 4 day week but compressed.

This works fantastically for me but recognise it's not for everyone. The 2 days off is a dream though

I dropped from full time to 3 days/22.5 hours and my son goes to nursery for those days. It works perfect for us. I'm far less burnt out (even with a toddler!) and the weeks go by quickly. We would've been worse off if I went full time as we'd have to find another £500 for nursery fees, I wouldn't be earning £500 more.

I am doing compressed ..
week 1 - Monday - Weds - 7.30 - 4.30
week 2 - Monday - Weds and Friday - 7.30 - 4.30

DP having Friday off on week 1 and also working compressed so still FT.

hoping this works for us and dreading the 4 day week.

I went back 3 days after my mat leave and it was a perfect balance for us. I can't do wfh in my role so did 9-5 which worked well. Even better if you'll have 1 day at home.

I worked 4 days per week after mat leave and it was great. Enough time at work to not fall back in the workplace (still treated like a full timer IYSWIM) and get paid decently, but really loved my days with my children.
for childcare costs, fewer, longer days are better than more, shorter days, at least until they’re in school.

I went back part time for 2 days (15 hours) and I'm loving it, although currently on mat leave after baby no. 2 but intend to stick with the same hours when I return. There's so much overtime going at work though that I can pick up any extra shifts at the weekend as and when I feel like and don't need to worry about childcare as partner is off at the weekend so I tend to work every other weekend as well. Feel like I get plenty of time with children and also plenty of time to myself but also still have my career and look forward to my working days where I can have a laugh and catch up with colleagues. Find work a lot less stressful now and the weeks go fast. Can't imagine ever going back full time now.

I went back 3 days (Tues-Thurs) which works out well seeing as one of our kids is now school age. The number of Mondays and Fridays they seem to be off or early pick up is ridiculous!

If you earn similar amounts you could both go down to 4 days each?

I worked 4 days after mat leave 1 but didn't have any realistic choice as DH was a student at the time so I was the breadwinner and also my employer wouldn't approve less working days anyway in my role. Changed jobs after mat leave 2 going down to 3 days a week which I prefer and then a few months later DH dropped to 4 days a week which was even better still (and we were not financially worse off due to the costs of two being in nursery then anyway). Now my eldest is at school too it's so much less stressful only needing wraparound and school hols cover for two days a week, with us both being part-time.

I spent 3 months doing a phased return and I found that I struggled to work more than 2 days in a row. For me the solution was 4 days but taking off the Wednesday. It's not the best day for me to take off really. If I hadn't been able to take Wednesdays off I would have had to go back doing 3 days in a 1-2 or 2-1 pattern.