Does anyone else find working part-time difficult?

[beansprout]

I used to be full time but now do 3 days a week in an adjusted version of my job. I appreciate that I am lucky to have this, so am really not moaning about that. However, I used to be involved in all sorts of things and now I just feel like I am on the sidelines quite a lot and the fact is, I just can't do the number of things I used to. I know that sounds really obvious but it's a bit of a struggle some days. I suppose I want the best of both worlds - shocker!!!

I find the hardest thing is the lack of communication. Because everyone knows something on Monday it doesn't necessarily mean I know what is going on as I don't come into work till Weds!

You just have to let go some of the involvement - then it is fine...

Xenia
interesting that you think it is the worst of all words. I think the opposite and for me it is the best of all worlds!

I find working p/t the best solution all round. At the moment I am on mat leave, so not at work at all.

I really miss the adult company and the intellectual challenge, so staying at home full time is not an appealing option.

However, I found it very hard to accept the loss of status when I went part time, being condescended to all the time etc. I have been told I am firmly on the "mummy track".

But on the whole I don't care. I know so many women who were made redundant when they were pg, that I just feel lucky to have a job at all.

Just finished my third week back at work, after my second maternity leave (of 13 months). As I wrote above, I am doing 25 hours over 3 days, with a bit at home. My job involves lots of travelling to London (I live in Yorkshire), Glasgow and Cardiff, as well as all over the north. This is what will cause the most upheaval at home. DH had become used to me being at home, doing everything, but has had a rude awakening since I went back! It's fab - just being able to go out at lunchtime into the city centre (we live in a village), have a coffee or lunch, do some shopping without pushing a buggy around. The next few weeks are really busy but I am going to try and keep my hours down and take time off in lieu according to our policy. I used to over-compensate for being 'part-time' by catching up at home at weekends & evenings, but really determined not to do it this time! It's great to feel like myself again and not just 'so-and-so's mum'... (at our toddler/playgroup I realised the other week that half of us don't even know each other's names, only those of the children!)

I recently went back after 4 years off and, for the first year or so, worked 2.5 days a week. It was great. Loved my days off. Now my job has changed and I work every day but reduced hours. Whilst it works for school runs etc, from a 'me' perspective the house never feels clean, seem to have less time for cooking, I'm always clock-watching and racing against it to get from a to b and I simply don't have any 'me' time between the hours of 7am and 8pm - even my lunch hour is only 20 minutes. So, pros and cons.

I find part time work OK, I do three days would prefer to do 2.5 or 2 but arent allowed to do that in my job. I used to bring work home to catch up on things etc but dont do that anymore and it hasnt made any difference to my work.

My boss is flexible which is great.

The worst part for me is having to leave work suddenly when DS is ill with asthma. Though DH and I share this so it isnt always me or him doing this.

I work 13 hours over 2 days and that's plenty at the moment. I love the way my week is split, work Mon, home Tue/Wed, work Thu and home Fri/Sat/Sun. I did find it a huge adjustment switching to part-time work. The way I have to work had to change because I had to tie ends up by the end of the day, or things took longer because I couldn't get hold of people or they couldn't get hold of me. I too suffered with being left out of things or not being informed of things - but now I'm in a different job I realise that, IME, that was actually the people I worked with and not a symptom of being part-time.

But overall, I do think it's the best of both worlds. I don't think about home at work, and I don't think about work at home. I get two weekends. I get lots of lovely time with dd, keep on top of the housework and jobs at home, and weekends are weekends, and I earn enough money to enable us to go on holidays and have loads of weekends away.