Feel guilty for wanting to work more

[tclj2000]

I have two daughters who will turn 2 and 4 this winter I currently work 4 days per week and I am starting to feel like I want to be at work more as I am not enjoying my days off with them as much as I used to (I feel so incredibly guilty writing this) they are with my mother two days a week and nursery on the other days which they love.
I am considering increasing my hours to a 9 day fortnight so the days off feel really special again and it is quality time.
Can anyone else relate to this? I feel like all a read is women upset about having to go back to work and it makes me feel so guilty that I want to be at work more. I love my girls so so much but I have a strong desire to get back to work and I know how much they love their nursery setting.

I’d think about what it will look like when your oldest goes to school. I work 4 days a week in a flexible job and it’s perfect for getting a mix of after school club, activities and down time after school for my dd who has just finished reception, I’d find it hard to do more hours.

I think 3 and 1 are really really tough ages to manage.

I had a really difficult time with mine at this age and I think many people have the same.

I did push through and it got better but in hindsight I wish I had just gone to a 9 day fortnight for a while.

I work full time and so do most of my friends with children. I really don’t feel guilty about it - I like my career a lot! And I feel like my children are thriving.

Do it. I bet their father is not anguishing about working full time!

Do what’s right for you, it’s a shame you’re not enjoying the time with them while they’re little over work but the younger years are not for everyone!

I do really get this, I currently work four days and have a day with my 2 yr old. Some days I really dread it.
but, consider how things will change when your eldest starts school, you can take them and pick them up one day with no rushing around. Also I’m sure you’re probably using some of that day to do household chores - where will these fit if you work full time?
finally, another consideration could be to keep your current hours but work over 5 days. Would you have better quality time, picking your children up at 3/4pm each day and having 2-3 hours together, rather than a frantic one hour of dinner, bath, bedtime routine?

I can relate. I recently increased my hours from 30 hours a week (4 days) to full time partly for the money and also because by mid-afternoon I struggled with looking after my daughter all day. I now work flexible full time hours but I have a Monday morning off (work 1pm-7pm) and Wednesday afternoon off (work 7am-1pm) to be with my daughter. I prefer it as I really enjoy doing something fun with her for 1/2 a day twice a week. Only problem is that I can see that after she turns 3 it would be nice to sometimes have the whole day off to go further afield for day out. For now it works as we are very lucky where we live lots of outdoorsy things to do.
She is with my parents Tuesday & Thursday 1pm to 6pm and is in nursery Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, Wednesdays morning, Thursday morning, Friday all day. But Fridays is usually a short full day 9am-4pm. This timetable works for us as she gets time with me twice a week and time with my parents, her beloved grandparents twice a week. I find 1/2 a days solo parenting can be made fun but a whole day can be tough.

Thank you all so much it’s really reassuring to know I’m not the only one feeling like this. Luckily I work from home so I can juggle drop off/ pick ups and house work etc quite well!
I think I’m going to mull it over until Christmas and see how I feel then <3

I went from 4 days to full time when my kids were 2 and 4. It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying it as such but it was hard work and we didn’t tend to do a lot on that day and I considered the 20% drop in income. They are 5 and 3 now with the eldest at school and I don’t regret going full time when I did it as it has worked out as the best option for our family.