If you work 2 days a week - what do you do?

[opentothought]

I work in accounts as a finance assistant 4 days a week. I don’t hate it but I don’t love it. I just have this constant nagging feeling that I’d like to be there for the kids more. Particularly in a couple of years when DC2 starts school. I also feel guilty that DC1 goes to wrap around 4 days a week.
DH is supportive of me dropping a few hours and we can afford it.
I feel 2 days a week would be ideal for me at this stage of life, it keeps my foot in the foot, pension contributions etc, a bit of adult conversation but equally means I’m home 5 days a week for the kids.
I can’t see my boss agreeing to it, so I wondered if others work a small amount of hours, what do you do?

*door

I’m a finance adviser for a LA. Like you, I don’t love it but I also don’t completely detest it. I’ve recently changed from 3 full days to 3 shorter days (school hours) so I’m 0.5FTE. Ideally I would have gone to 2 days but work insisted I was a minimum of 0.5FTE so I do 18.5 hours across 3 days. Means I’m able to collect my twins from school and not have to work around them after school which I absolutely hated and felt like I was unproductive work wise and an absent parent.

I work 25 hours but it’s two shifts as they are 12.5 hours long.

I am a midwife and try to work mostly nights so it has minimal effect on my son and I’m here as much as I can be and it has the bonus of paying more.

The mum guilt when I was working 34 hours was real!

I’m a school administrator and work 20hrs per week, term time only, 2 full days of 8.30-4.30 and a half day of 8.30-1.30.
DS is 5 so it works really well for our family. DH does school runs on my work days but I can collect DS on my half day and he goes to after school club one day when we are both working. School holidays are sorted as I’m off work!
I love having 2 days each week to go to the gym, meet friends and family, do some gardening and get things done around the house. It’s done wonders for my mental health and job satisfaction, definitely worth the pay cut. And I get to spend extra time with DS that I wouldn’t have otherwise, he is an only child after a difficult time fertility-wise so I really cherish this.

I work 2 half days a week as a college lecturer, back to collect from school. Will increase to 3 half days this September to get a bit more money

Thanks for the insight all!

@YessicaHaircut how do you find TTO? I am strongly considering this.. only work 6 weeks at a time before time off. Part time means you still have time to yourself/appointments etc. I know it’s paid less but when you consider the tax free allowance, you can still take gone nearly as much if you’re not a high earner anyway, like me..

Take *home

Honestly I love it. You’re never far away from a week off work and like you said, have plenty of time for a life outside of work too. Like you I’m not a high earner but value the added time with my family (and better mental health) above more money. Not sure I’d want to go back to year round working now!

I am a Sonographer. You wouldn’t be able to work two days straight away in the profession but am established enough now so I can work two days. I don’t intend on increasing them ever. I won’t get in to management because of it but I prefer clinal work anyway.
I have three kids and two separate elderly parents. I get my me stuff and jobs done in in the short school day. So gym, appointments, lunch with friends, date lunches with my husband ( our way of getting time together) seeing my parents etc. When the kids are out of school I am running them about to various sports so not a lot of time for me then. The days I work are long with a commute so don’t feel guilty about only working two.

Im a support worker and do 2 x 12 hour shifts and a sleep shift between them, so i get paid for 27 hours plus the fixed sleep in rate. I dont love the job but the hours are amazing with a child and i get 5 full days off.