Working Hours

[nolongernewbie]

Hi - just interested in working patterns & what seems to work well for people. I freelance - oldest DC starting school Sep. Thinking I will move to a 9-3 working day but interested in opinions on this. E.g. Maybe do two longer days (using childcare/afterschool club) instead of 5 days finishing at 3pm. Hmmmmmm things to think about. Want to plan ahead rather than wait to September. How do you plan your working week & what seems to work? (Would like to fit gym time in too...am I pushing it..?).

I work 4 days x 8 - 5 and use childcare (nursery and school wraparound). I need the ability to be able to attend meetings in London when the client needs me so I need 'office hours'.

However, there are many on here (and I know some in RL) that work school hours and it works for them. I think it will limit your earning potential (as probably restricts your earning hours to c25 a week) however, many feel that the ability to do the school drops/collects & spend extra time with the DC is worth it/what they want to do.

I guess it depends on your working pattern. Working 2 days - what happens if work comes in on the other 3 days? Can it wait until the week after? Or would you do it at night? Or turn it down?

Also if you have younger DC what will the impact be on their childcare costs? Some nurseries don't do half a day etc. And working 9 - 3 will be across two sessions. Obviously you might use a childminder etc.

Not sure if that helps!

Hi thanks, useful. I will be working 4 days. I'm considering 2 longer days & 2 with a 3pm finish. I can alter younger's childcare to this too. I was originally thinking 4 days with a 3pm finish I just dot think that's going to give me enough time really. Will continue to ponder....

I generally work 9-3 but if I need to attend a meeting outside that then I get DH ( self employed) or my mum to sort out the DC.
It works and I earn plenty, I suppose I could earn even more but it's not worth it as I want to do the school run etc as well and be able to do all the after school stuff too.

Thanks. And then there's the whole issue of school holidays....need to research holiday clubs I think & maybe book in a couple days a week during holidays to keep continuity going. A lot of planning to do!

It also depends on your type of work - is it home-based? I work from home and worked all the way through my children's primary school years. They sat on the couch (near me) after school and played in their rooms and i worked around them.

||I still managed to chat to them while writing articles...

I got up early and worked before taking them to school and always did the pick up after school too. Now they are at secondary, it is easy to continue working from home while they just do their own thing.

It may seem as though I ignored them - but the taking them to and from school was an important time with them and they were still close to me all afternoon. They just got on and did their own thing - like kids do at that age anyway.

I managed 6-8 hours a day. Still do.

Holidays were more tricky - but I would arrange one full day a week off and have a day out. I still got up early and got as much done as possible before they got up.

Now they are older I am looking for more work outside of the home.

I work around the children. School hours, when they are there but amusing themselves, sometimes when they are doing an activity and I'm sitting in the car with my laptop, evenings, early mornings, on holiday while everyone is still sleeping ...

Thanks - all very useful - I work from my home office. I can't imagine getting anything done with my DC around - but they are only 4 (just) and 2 at the moment so maybe that will change as they get older. I'm keen on the early morning idea - think this could work well for me.

I have 2 days when my DCs go to their childminder after school, and 3 when I collect them. My work is a bit sporadic at the moment, so I don't always need the longer days, but I need to keep the CM space open for when I need to travel or have more projects on, so if I don't need the late afternoons for work, I use spare time to go running and swimming (and theoretically housework, but not always that so much).

I don't ever get any work done after school on days I get them, as time quickly gets taken up with reading/piano practice and lessons/friends for tea etc. However, mine are now 7 and 9 and for a year or two I've been able to get a fair bit of work done during the holidays while they're around. On a typical day I might do a couple of hours in the morning before they're up or while they watch a bit of pre-breakfast TV. Then we'll go out or do stuff together until 3 or 4pm and I'll do a couple of hours more while they play together or watch a film.