Working school hrs - opinions

[RHCCHR94]

Hi Everyone

My youngest is due to start primary in Sept and I’m considering the working pattern of 9:15-2:45 x4 pw - letting me do each school run and have a day each week for me/to sort out our lives! Financially it would be approx £1850ish per month take home for these hrs. My question is, for the sanity it would give and allow me to be that fully present parent on all school runs, is the financial loss worth it? For context I couldn’t do full time around kids (husband is FT) so I’ve always done some form of part time. Thanks x

Don’t worry!!

This is exactly what I do and I love it. It's great being able to do all the drop offs and pick ups and spend time together after school.

I have to say it wasn’t always great work-wise, I would come in after everyone else when they were already properly settled into what they were doing for the morning. Then in the afternoon I would often find that I was keeping an eye on the time and then just as I really hit my stride and got going with my work it was time to leave again, or I’d be trying to finish something off and then cut it fine for the school run. Luckily I had leeway as I was doing 4 hours a day over 3 days so if I felt I wasn’t getting everything done I’d start earlier or take a shorter lunch the next day. It’s definitely better working full days from the work POV (in my job anyway).

Glad to hear it works so well - I’m thinking for me the pros will definitely outweigh the thoughts of “if I worked x more hours I’d earn blah blah”

Already posted but I agree with you OP, it’s got to tick your boxes, it won’t everyone, but it might do yours. The main thing is you’re not completely stopping working, you can drop down a few hours so you can always go back up again.
Sometimes when people say it could be damaging for your career, that may be because it’s very important for them, say, to have a senior position because it gives them a sense of satisfaction, but I’ve never felt the need to have that.. for me it’s important that I work and earn some cash, but for me life is about my family and I think working more hours than feels right for your family can feel worse than any satisfaction you might feel from “achieving” type thing. But everyone is different.

I do these hours and it’s great. 4 days a week like you suggest. Then compressed hours in the school holidays- same amount of hours but over 3 days, so less days to find childcare for

I do similar hours Monday to Friday and it works for me as my husband works away. I can take my children to their sports clubs and it means the dog’s not left on his own for long days.

I used to have Mondays off and think it is a good idea to have a day to do chores etc. I sometimes feel resentful because all the housework falls on me because I work fewer hours than my husband but it’s a struggle getting it done once the kids are home. I feel like I don’t feel the real benefit of part-time working.

Another thing I miss is having a break. Because I work less than 6 hours I don’t get a lunch break so I miss going out with colleagues etc or just having that 30 mins to myself to go for a walk or get some shopping done. The school run is not all it’s cracked up to be but overall I’m grateful for the time I have with my children.