Would you do four days a week or five days a week?

[stella1w]

I MIGHT be able to go back four days a week (dc1 starting reception this year, dc2 will be one) or shorten my contract and do five days a week. If my contract was shorter I would have more time at home fulltime with the kids. If I did four days a week I could have one day a week feeling more involved in kids' daily lives. But I worry that I would be paid for four days but with no reduction in workload
thoughts?

I'd do four. I work 3 days, and it is lovely being able to pick the kids up from school, plus you will get to make friends at the school gate with other mums.

I work five days a week; and TBH I find it a real grind.
I don't see my DCs enough during the week (they are 3 and 1); and DH and I seem to spend the weekends catching up on housework.
Thankfully I'm on a three-month contract but if it's going to be extended I'm going to push for four days a week.

To be honest 4 really doesn't feel like part time. You just end up doing the same workload. Could you do 5 shorter days? If not I would just bite the bullet and do 5, have the additional money, and if I understand you correctly make the contract shorter?

I too am hoping to do 4 days. Ive done 5 and the wkend is too short to spend time with the family and housework and job work. I also did 2.5 days which was lovely as i had lots of time for the kids. However i had no money and didnt really feel part of my workplace.
I think 4 days will hopefully give me family and housework time, just enough money but im sure i'll have just as much work to take home.

I work 37.5hrs over three days.

To be honest its shit.

I really don't think that there is any happy medium.

If you are not going to be able to drop any part of your workload, do not do four days a week. I did it for a year and it was s@£t! The only reason I would do that is if you have a lot of spare time in your role currently - and there's not many jobs like that around nowadays! I ended up very stressed and bringing a lot of work home.

You mention contract work? Does this mean that the 4/5 day dilemma would only be for a fixed period and after that you will be a SAHM? if so, stay at 5 days, there will be plenty of time after for making school friends, getting involved in playdates etc.

Tiredemma your name is apt! You do 12.5 hours days?! What do you do?

I do four days and I love it. I do sometimes struggle to get work done, and do sometimes work outside my hours, though I can take the time back, but having a day that I am able to take DD to school and pick her up and have friends round, plus I have a day to myself to do jobs or nice things definitely makes up for it.

i do 4 days (30 hrs) which is fine. i do end up taking calls on my day off and checking my blackberry, but at least i have one day I can do the school thing, catch up on stuff at home and devote a wee bit of time to ds & dd.
it seems a reasonable trade off to me. i have considered going back to 5 days but i dont think i'm ready to give it up yet

annh- I am a Deputy ward manager on a Female Acute psychiatric ward.

Very stressful.

days are LLLOOOOOOONNNNGGGGG.

Rewarding though... (so i keep being told...)

I reduced my hours from 5 days to 4 days when my son was about 7 years old.

Although I still had to cram 5 days into 4, I still felt better; more in control and the extra day gave me more time to myself.

The money didn't change so much, because I paid less tax and NI.