Expected by colleagues to work full time with a family

[Tilly0921]

Just out for opinions...I work in accounts and used to be full time prior to children, my kids are now approaching school age and is now the expectation within the team that I should increase my hours potentially to full time. Is this the new normal? I was born in the 80's, this would have been frowned upon in their day. Why is it so different now and expected of mothers to do this?
In my opinion, I want to be there to nurture and support my children in their education and out of school hours activities.

If you can afford to carry on part time then forget what other people do.
I never returned to work full time, did part time until they left school, and it was the right decision for us. That meant a bit less cash but children need just as much parenting as teens and if one parent can be around it's a bonus. if I were to do it again the one thing I would change would be to not go back to work at all until they were at school.

I have noticed in some of the places that I have worked that the women with older children who stayed on part time work came from affluent families and had expectations of a good inheritance in due course. Those of us who were full time had an eye not only on paying our mortgages but getting a good pension pot set up too.