Returning to work after maternity

[returntosenderreturntosender]

I am a Mum of 2, currently on maternity leave with my second child. After my first child I went back to work full time. I desperately want more time with my kids and I am weighing up quantity of time V quality of time with what I do work wise going forward. We can’t afford for me not to work at all, but my current role and company wouldn’t have the flexibility I need for when my daughter starts school in 2 years, but I don’t want to not earn enough and us not to be able to have any fun on weekends/holidays etc. I am totally torn with what is best.

What did you do work wise?

Go back to work, suck it up in the short term, you literally have no choice if you can't afford it.

Start looking for a job with more flexibility, if such a thing exists in your industry. It's easier to get a job if you're currently employed already.

It sucks. I hated going back to work. Sucks sucks big time.

We can’t afford for me not to work at all, but my current role and company wouldn’t have the flexibility I need for when my daughter starts school in 2 years,

What do you mean by this ?
What flexibility would you need when your dd goes to school ?

You can work part time, but also use wrap around school care.

Your employer would have to be able to show why part time working wouldn't work when you put in your request.

I went back full time after dc1 and 3 days a week after dc2. It worked very well for us.

It totally depends on the job you have & your partner has as to how you can juggle things but I went back 4 days a week, I have flexible working so can sort my own hours as long as I do the right amount per week, I work pretty much 7-3, my husband starts work later so he usually does drop off (or on my wfh days we both go) and then I’m able to pick our daughter up from nursery by 3:15 so have a really good chunk of time with her still of an afternoon/evening. This will work for us right through school really, I get an extra day through the week with her but also get 3:15-bedtime every day which is still a good amount of time really.

If I had a job with set shifts which required me to work say 9-5 then I’d have looked to drop another day I think because I know on the rare occasion I have had to work late I feel like I finish work, have dinner and then it’s bed time so I wouldn’t feel like I had much time with my daughter at all those days.

This gets banded around mumsnet a lot but genuinely, many jobs cannot be done part time or it would be too expensive to hire someone else to cover part time. All employers has to say is it doesn't work, too expensive, done. Zero effort in it.

Working reduced hours our part time is completely unheard of in my firm, we are about 150 people in my role. Firm doesn't care, they'll tell you to resign if you don't like it. And even at competitors, someone working part time is extremely rare in my career.

It gets said on MN, because it is true.
Just as much as your experience is true.

The OP hasn't said what she does. It might, or might not be common in her industry - we don't know. Even if it isn't common, someone has to be the first to make sure the employer follows the law.