Will I regret taking a huge step back?

[tweetypi]

I'm currently in a good job, earning good money as a member of SLT. The work is hard but I enjoy the variety. I'm currently on mat leave with my 2nd child and would need to go back full time. I feel quite suffocated by this. I've enjoyed picking DC1 up from school each day and going to baby groups with DC2.
I'm considering going back to basics in my career and taking a job 3 days a week with much less responsibility. This would give me much more time with my children. My heart is saying do it. My head is concerned I'll never build my career back up and my pension/savings will take a hit.
Financially we can get by on the reduced salary, we'll just need to trim the fat.
Those of you with older children who are further down the line - what would you do? Did you have a similar choice to make and how do you feel it went?

I took 12 years out of the workplace altogether (though I did a lot of relevant voluntary work to keep my skills up to date) and managed to get back in at the same level I left. I've been back at work 6 years now and steadily climbing the ladder again. I don't regret my decisions one bit.

Well you probably did the right thing with 1, or you’d have been PT for much longer. With 2 it is more common to go PT. Just set a limit on it so you don’t loose your career.

I reduced work to 3:5 days after my first one but regretted it later on having my second as childcare got expensive and my work would not let me go back full time. I left that job and gone one working full time from home - I had flexibility. As long as I did my work and went to my meetings , I had time to run them to this, that and the next thing. Sometimes yeah I’d have to write a few emails when they were in bed to catch up but now pension is looking healthy etc. I’m still working full time but they’re growing up and my elder children can now go on the bus to stuff etc. just my 11 year old who we need to give lifts to etc.

I did this and have never regretted it since. Before you make a decision, speak to your employers. They may suggest something you haven't thought of like a job share or a specific role. For me they allowed me to swap my role with my deputy and say what hours and days I wanted and created a bespoke part time role for me. I've done it for 7 years now and love it. Can't ever see myself wanting my original role back now.

I took a part time low paid job after my DD was born. I moved roles but continued to work part time until she was in secondary school. It has definitely affected my pension and my career.

On the plus side being able to spend more time with DD was amazing. One job allowed me to work a few extra hours each week and take time off in the holidays which was fantastic. My DH had a very full on job which paid most of the bills and he just didn't have the capacity to look after DD on a regular basis. And the role I am in now is well paid.

I don't regret it at all.

I was made redundant just as my eldest started school- wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as got a decent pay off. Didn’t look for another job.

spent the next four years working (very) part time running my own business before going back to my previous career. Two years on I’m hoping for promotion and things are looking up

I have no regrets at all about what happened. However is easy for me to say as dh had a very well paid job (almost) throughout- he also got made redundant so we had a few worrying months but he ended up with a better paid job