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Working mums - how many hours do you work?
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Hi
I work 22.5 hours. During term time I work 10 - 2.30 as no before/after school club (ggrrr)...school holidays I condense my hours into three days and work 7.15 - 3.45.
Seems to work ok, would like to work more hours but the cost of childcare is just too much x0 -
16 1/2 hrs a week - two kids with childcare meant that for several years I cleared approx 1x takaway meal per month.........
and doing so my partner had to turn down possible promotions...as I couldnt always be there...so he had to be.
You really really have to do the maths on this..
Its only now, having retained my professional status, that I am in a position to be ahead of the mums who having stayed at home for 12 years over 2 or more kids. They now find themselves looking for work.
and even now they have much wider social networks than I do through which several have found new jobs.....
Did my kids suffer - no....not at all..they are outstanding...me and my partner ..yes...its been really hard in all sorts of ways.Fight Back - Be Happy0 -
As with Cheeswright, I returned to work more to keep my hand in than to make mega bucks. I also realised that if I returned, my request for reduced/school hours was more likely to be accepted than if I started a new job and asked for those terms. I returned to work after baby 2 to do 25 hours a week, 9.30-2.30. I do drop off and pick up at school, and child 2 goes to nursery full time.
I work 1/3 less than full time, and pay out approximately 50% of my remaining wage in childcare. My take home is about equal to my maternity pay, but I have the terms I want/need and when both kids are in school, I'll get to have my cake and eat it. That's the plan anyway!Debt free as of July 2010 :j
£147,174.00/£175,000
Eating an elephant, one bite at a time
£147,000 in 100 months!0 -
I worked full time - 5 days a week after my 1st and dh did childcare.
After my 2nd I dropped down to 3 days a week as my two are in private nursery and dh works away so was just too hectic.
TBH if my two were looked after by their grannies I would hesitate about working full time, as they would be in a home from home environment and having all the love of their grannies. Plus I know my mil and mum would make us all dinner before we went home, so better work life balance. Sadly our inlaws work ft so not going to happen.0 -
I've always believed that if you give birth to a child, you should bring it up, not a nursery or a childminder.
But in this day and age of stupid property prices, 2 car families, foreign hols (that the kids can't remember going on when they were 2) has led us to work work work. All material rubbish, and we've all got ourselves into it by spending spending spending on STUFF.
There's always one person looking to bash working mums. There's research to prove that mums who work part time have much better mental health on average than a stay at home mum.
My husband looked after my kids while I worked full time. He then wanted to return to work. His profession is unstable and the money can be stop start. So it makes sense for me to work incase his earnings fall flat again. I think it sets a much better role model for children to have working parents, than claiming dole.
There is not a one size fits all. Im actually a much better mother now Im back at work. I look forward to spending time with my children. When I was at home on maternity leave for a year, some days I would wake up dreading how the day was going to go - that never happens now.
Work has energized me, using the years of training it took me to get at university. Oh and I don't make much, say £100 after childcare so its not for the material value. Im a happier person, wife and mother when working.0 -
I've always believed that if you give birth to a child, you should bring it up, not a nursery or a childminder.
But in this day and age of stupid property prices, 2 car families, foreign hols (that the kids can't remember going on when they were 2) has led us to work work work. All material rubbish, and we've all got ourselves into it by spending spending spending on STUFF.
My children 9 and 12 have just told me how grateful they are to be able to enjoy the lovely holidays we can afford nothing luxurious mainly visiting families but we do a lot of visiting and experiencing new customs. We have always done and they have kept many memories of our holidays.
I was brought up by two full time working parents but I remember much more the wonderful holidays I too got the chance to enjoy than missing spending more time with them during the school weeks.
In the end it is about quality over quantity and that can come in many different ways. I have no regrets at all that my parents were working hard to allow me and my sister to experience things I wouldn't have otherwise.0 -
My DD is now 24 and I have always worked in full on jobs from when she was 6 months old. In those days it was career suicide to ask for part-time.
With the benefit of hindsight I do regret not spending more time with her when she was small, simply sharing experiences and watching her do 'stuff'.
We had fabulous childcare so no regrets about that, but i do feelmissed the opportunity of a lifetime.
I have had a great career, earned a lot, paid for help at home, luxuries and of course the bills.
If I were to choose again I would work 3 days not 5 so that I was there for her more.0
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