Working 😭

I went back 3 days to begin with then when she got 15 hours went up to 4, I do generally struggle with keeping up on house work, shopping, etc. but I love my Wednesdays with my little girl and I would only be better off by about £300 per month, we don’t need the extra money unless I was to get a better paid job I wouldn’t go back to full time x

Yeah that’s how I feel as well 😭 it’s hard though as if I went back the extra day before tax we would have an extra £800 a month and I wouldn’t have to pay for a day nursery as we are at the charge cut off with 4 days. I love my time with her so much but that much money is so tempting it’s hard 😭

I went back to work full time when my daughter was 10M because of a career opportunity. My daughter is in nursery five days, it was quite an easy transition. When I went back to work I just made it clear to my husband we'd be splitting everything 50/50. Could you try doing condensed hours maybe a 9 day fortnight so you get one day off with your daughter every two weeks but then it doesn't change your salary xxx

@Annabel thank you! You know what I didn’t even consider a fortnightly option it kind of feels like you have to do all or nothing really so maybe I’ll explore that as a choice x

@Laura it means you'll only add an hr to your day. Or you can do 5 over 4 but it adds two hours to your day so you have to think about impact the day to day time with your child. I'm actually pregnant with our second now (due Sept) and I suspect I'll reduce my hours when I go back next summer. It's so hard as mum when you juggle everything and I don't know what support you have at home but going back to work you definitely want to renegotiate with whoever your support system is so that you can also thrive at work, if it's a job you're passionate about. Remember women can have it all but that doesn't mean do it all!

@Annabel yeah 5 over 4 will be too much as I technically work 9 hours a day if you include my lunch break as part of my shift 😭 ah congratulations!! Yeah I would it’s been lovely having all this extra time with my daughter and I know it’s a privilege to be able to do it but it’s been so worth it! Yeah it’s impossible isn’t it 😭 my husbands really good but his work is much less flexible then mine and we earn pretty much the same if I were full time so it’s just been a choice for me to enjoy the time more then anything. Just don’t want to miss out on her little face but also I would like to have some money to save for her future etc! Xx

I went back full time but finish at 4pm (start early). Dad does drop offs and I do pickups

@Laura make sure you pick childcare that take lots of photos for you!! It's the best especially in the first few months when you're adjusting to it all

@Naomi ooh how do you find flexi working? ☺️

@Annabel yeah she goes to a lovely nursery tbh that’s part of the reason I’m open to full time as she has so much fun playing with everyone c

It’s fine and it works for us, but it does mean I end up working on the train home, and then sometimes when he is bed catch up. Needs must 🙄. It works well I terms of pick up / drop offs. When he starts school he will have to do wrap around car until 5.30

I went back full time when LO was 5 months old. I was doing condensed hours (full time over 4 days) from 5 months to 12 months when I then got made redundant. I now do full time over 5 days. We both work from home and LO is at nursery 3 x per week. We are increasing it to 4 x per week in September. I might consider another condensed contract at that point

Can you work 4 days a week but full time hours? That's what I do. Tues - Fri and work 35 hours per week

I went back and did 40hr (my full time) over 4 days 7am-6pm with an hour lunch break. So I still got my day with my LO. This worked for us.

@Naomi thank you I’ll have a look into that ☺️ omg tell me about working late I’m always on slack on my phone on my days off now 🤣

@Jennifer thank you! How have you found working full time? ☺️ I’m remote as well so I know I could use breaks and flex work to pick her up if needed

@Nina I would but I work 9 hours a day technically - 8.30-5.30 so my 4 days a week is 32 hours anyways don’t think I would be able to fit in 8 hours on my days in as well 😭

@Becky thank you! How do you manage pick up and drop offs? ☺️

@Laura it was difficult to begin with. He was at home full time until he was 8 months old. So I did 5-8 months old working and taking care of him. Not great through a sleep regression & teething either. But that was the hardest part I’d say, otherwise it was easy going back to work full time. I had no choice really due to finances.