Working parents - what would you prefer?

[Jessica1782]

Having to go back to work, and have two options, all in the office…DP can make it work either way…what would you prefer?

1. 5 days a week, 9-5.

Could do drop off and pick up from nursery, put baby to sleep etc

2. 3 days a week, 12 hour shifts.

Would miss the entirety of baby’s day, would leave when she’s asleep and get back when she’s asleep. But I’d have 4 days including the weekend at home with her

I currently work 4 x 12 hour shifts a week. It's exhausting, at work pretty much all day, don't see the kids at all during work days, I'm out of the house before they wake up, home after they've gone to bed. When I get home it's shower, eat, bed. No time anything else if I want to get enough sleep.

But then I have 4 days off to spend with them.

I could never to back to 9-5 5 days a week.

I would do the 3 days. That’s what I did when both mine were small. The hours before and after nursery are not quality time. It’s rushed, baby is tired, you’re tired. But having 2 days home a week plus the weekend was proper quality time. It also meant Dh fully shared the load, doing the monotonous stuff 3 days a week, not just the fun stuff.

Thank you that’s a really helpful perspective

I would do the three hours as long as there was an absolute guarantee that that would work for work and me, ie that realistically my work “fit” in 3 long days (not a given if the rest of the team are in 5 days) and that my two days off is be undisturbed. Also 12 hours is a long time to be concentrating, so I’d want something interesting to be doing.

3 days

4 days off. You'll get much better quality time than rushing round to nursery drop offs 5 days a week. And much cheaper!

3 days

Another vote for 3 longer days. The morning rush is not much fun, and having to do this only 3 mornings rather than 5 is a real bonus. 3 working days will pass very quickly, but 5 can drag on and the weekend never feels long enough. To have 4 days at home with flexibility to do other things will feel significantly nicer I think. As someone else said, the daily routine in mornings and dinner time is not really quality time, it can feel rushed and tiresome, and then is on repeat for 5 days.

As someone who was once in this position I chose the 3x12 hour option and I’m very glad I did.