Best part-time days?

[beansprout]

I've gone back to work this week and will be working 3 days - Tues, Weds and Fri. However, both my mum and the childminder have both suggested that I work three consecutive days as it would be better for ds (11 months) on the basis that it would be less disruptive. Selfishly, I quite liked the idea of not spending too many days running without him. That said, would be happy to change if it really is better for him.

What does anyone think? Not sure what to do now!

Oh don't, am in tedious dilemma about after school club which if I air here will only have a million people telling me she shouldn't go at all and I should finish work at 3.15 and pick her up, which will stress me out like nobody's business because either I won't get much done or I shall have to work again in the evenings.

Perhaps a consideration could also be on which days are any groups you regularly attend or any music/swimming etc classes that you might fancy in the future

E-mail me tomorrow (will be at work, unlike today as am currently working confusing days!!)?

I have horrible dilemma because ds goes to nursery thurs and fri (very oversubscribed so only days I could get) but I don't like working them because everyone else I know who works p/t works Mon-Wed and wants to get together with kids on Thursday and Friday. So for the sake of your social life, and your ds's, do Mon - Wed.

beany thats what i meant htough
that three days is better and that after a whikle the whole thing is academic

Im feeling a little bullied here! delgirl ! you old fish.

i thought i was helping..

I do three days too. I origianlly did mon/tues/weds which was ok but I felt like I lost my sunday as i was always running around sorting everything ready for Monday. I then did weds/thurs/fri which I preferred, but as Aloha says there are a lot of 3 or 4 days workers who have fridays off so I was missing out socially. I now do tues/weds/thurs and i have to say these are definitely the best days for me to work. I get a lovely long weekend. And have Mondays to get stuff ready for my working days so no yukky feeling on a Sunday.

Have to say I'm another who thinks in the long run three consecutive days are better.

Hi Beansprout. Hard to believe it is October really now - just think what we were doing last year!

On the days issue, I don't think it makes too much difference to your DS - whatever you do, if he is settled at the childminders he won't mind going there whenever. You may however find it easier initially to settle him if he has consecutive days, so you could always start off this way and then swap later. But babies at this age have pretty good memories. another consideration - I find my tolerance for DS goes up as I spend more time away, so a day in between might work quite well in terms of recharging the batteries so to speak (I know, you can't imagine it now but in 2 years time when they are 3 it will be an issue!)

I work Wed-Friday because a lot of my work tends to have a Friday deadline so it's good to be around then, and I like the more relaxed atmosphere. A block of days works for me because I can concentrate/organise work better. Re bank holidays, I think you do miss out a bit because the pro-rata-ing thing still doesn't make up for the fact that most holidays are on the Monday. But there would only be one or two days at the most difference.

Another consideration - the busiest days at nursery are mid-week, and if you need flexibility, you are more likely to find availability Mon or Friday - so Tues/Wed/Thurs would work here. I know you're using a CM now, but in the future you might want to switch.

But now I know why I don't know any other part-time working mums - they are all taking Friday off!

Right well seen as how Bank Hols are not a consideration I think you should do Tues Weds Thurs like I do. Actually surprisingly few people seem to do this. My Sis does Mon-Weds and my SIL does Weds-Fri so I do get one day a week to get together with each of my nephews.

I like this because on Monday DD and I have a quiet day, get on with the housework, play etc. Then we count Friday as part of the weekend, meet up with people, go shopping etc. But I definitely think consequetive days are better because you are not getting into/out of work mode twice a week.

I would like Tues, Weds, Thurs best if it were me as I hate Mondays, or rather I hate that feeling on Sunday night, ruins a weekend IMO.

Alternatively, Mondays is a good day to work because of Cod's point about the BHs. Also, I used to like Fridays because everyone had that Friday feeling and work was a mor relaxed place to be.

So all in all, considering, I would do Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but most of my Sundays would be ruined.

I wouldn't worry about ds if I were you. he will adapt to whatever you decide.

i havent read the whole of this thread, so sorry if i repeat what someone else has said

how about mon, tues, friday? that means you have 2 sets of 2 days with your lo, and you get to starta and finish the week at work, so are fully 'in the know'. the only down side is you won't have 'long weekends' as a normality.

(btw, i work mon, tue, wed but i have often thought about the above. )

If BH aren't a consideration, I would prefer Weds, Thurs, Fri.

my children have generally gone to nursery mon, tu, thurs, that seems really pleasant to me. a bit of a midweek break and also a friday off (dp and I share the time off).

the only thing which really doesn't work for me is taking Monday off I hate being at home on a monday morning when everyone else is going off to work (but that's probably just me).