Changing from 3-4 days a week. Pros and cons?

[HalfMumHalfBiscuit]

I am thinking of moving from 3 days a week to 4. I have a DS who is at school (4yo - wales) and a DD who is 1yo. After DS I went back to work full time and have a good sales related job. Good salary, good banter in the office. I have a brilliant childminder who would be able to help on that additional day.

Con's for me would be not being able to pick up DS from school 2 days a week and not spending as much time with DD. Not having time to cook decent food for them at tea time. Coming home to work to tired kids etc. the usual.

I am not a natural at home as I am used to a high pressure office environment. I was off with DD for nearly 10 months and I now feel the pull of work again.

I am feeling the usual guilt and worry about how we will cope as a family. DH is supportive but also has quite a stressful job.

If I move up to 4 days I will be a more valued member of the team. At 4 days I would be seen as a full team member. After building my career so far it would be a shame to reach a lul.

Rushing now as have to attend to kids. But anyone have any thoughts?

bump

I have just moved from 4 full days to reducing somewhat to 2 full days and 2 days to 2.30pm

If you are career minded then 4 days a week may work well for you, you certainly feel part of the loop in a way that you don't if you are less.

Downside is same as upside you are seen as full team member, hard for people to adjust workloads to 80% so you probably will end up doing a f/t job in less time.

It sounds like something you want to do so why not give it a go.

Thanks Rookie. I think you are right.
I am getting frustrated that other team members who follow up my leads when I am not there. At 4 days it will be like I am there most of the time so my leads will be MINE IYKWIM.

Ohh the guilt. Although I do want a career.
Any other working girls out there?

bump

Well, I'm a FT working girl but feel no guilt largely because my DD's childminders (two of them actually, who work as a team) are fabulous. They do all the kinds of stimulating activities with DD that I can't be arsed to do myself (I adore my DD but I am not a very "natural" mother, iyswim) and they look after 5 other toddlers so DD has her close posse of friends who she sees and interacts with every day (again, if I was looking after her we would probably not see as many toddler friends except at groups). She's an only child but she is confident and sociable and happy. Therefore = no guilt for me :-)

I miss her terribly, of course, but by career is very important to me (and a role model for my daughter too).