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I have a pretty ideal setup. I am a self employed photographer working part time hours, I book all my shoots/events/weddings and delivery times so it’s pretty self driven. I also have another very part time job/responsibility that will pick up in a few years. DD is in school 12-16 hours a week. DH has a pretty demanding career but works from home about 50% so he can back me up with school pick ups/drop offs and illness as needed. Photography is expensive and technology is always changing (I just bought a $2700 camera) so it would be nice to make a little more but I make a great hourly wage when I look at it that way.
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My work hours just got cut from 35 to 31 which I think is an ideal amount of hours for me it’s just not an ideal amount of money
still trying to figure it out. I can tell you my wine budget has skyrocketed so it’s not going great so far
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I would love to work 6 or 7 hour days. I think I could do 5 days a week if the hours were shorter (well I do 5 days now, but it’s 8.5 hours a day including one 30 minute unpaid lunch break). I think 8:30am-3:30pm would be perfect, ideally 3-4 days a week. I worked only 16 hours a week over 2 days for about a year and that was definitely not enough for me. I feel so much more productive on the days I come in at say 10:30am after having taken the kids to a morning doctors appointment (so 6.5 hours).
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Stay at home for sure! I have zero desire to go back to work. Currently home with my 3
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@youboots: this is basically me. Self-employed, I set my schedule. Occasionally I’m super busy and work nights and weekends, but the vast majority of the time, especially now that we’ve moved, I’m done by the time the kids get home from school. It works well for us because we live abroad with no family help and my DH has to travel internationally fairly frequently. We definitely need for one of us to be flexible.
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My ideal would be a year paid maternity leave and then back to work 5 days/week 9-1ish.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: hahaha love your honesty!
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I work PT (80%) and about 90% of my time I WAHM. I would love to be around grown-up people a little more but currently it is ideal because with 4 kids 4 and younger it really helps that I can just run a load of laundry between conference calls or the like.
ETA: PT works for me because I have a set end each day because I need to pick the kids up at daycare. And I make a point of not working when the kids are in bed...
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I love working. My ideal is definitely full time, but I wish I could do 80/9 so I could have every other Monday or Friday off.
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Right now, my little one goes to daycare 2x/week for a half day so I can do contract work from home. It really works for us and I'm fortunate to be in this position. I'm not the happiest as a full-time SAHM, I love the experience he gets at "school", and I get to keep my professional identity and stay connected to my industry.
However, we're due with #2 in October and I'm not sure what to do. I'd like to give myself a good maternity leave, but that also might mean missing out on work opportunities. I've also been recruited to possibly work full-time for an awesome organization, so need to make some decisions about throwing my hat in the ring (of course my due date throws a big wrench in these plans, it's too early to tell them!)
I really wish more companies would treat each employees a real, whole person and understand the need for flex and part-time schedules. We shouldn't have to pick between being successful professionally and finding time to be with our families. The job I'm looking at claims to do so, which is super attractive to me.
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I have worked a ton of different schedules and types of work. For some types of work, FT was fine. For the healthcare work, I do know, working FT isn't sustainable for my physical or mental health.
I feel happiest when I'm working either 3 or 4 days a week with a max of 10h per shift and max of 32h per week.
The downside is that the only way I can get that schedule is working PRN with no sick/vacation/retirement benefits.
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@YogiRunner: Can we be "figure it out together" buddies? I'm doing contract work now also (my LO goes to school 5 days/week, so I shoot for 20 hours/week) and am due with #2 in September. I'm actively ignoring the fact that I need to figure something out. Luckily I'm close enough to my boss that she already knows about the pregnancy and is 100% on board with figuring something out together.... but it's still damn hard, especially since I negotiated a 6 month leave last time, so I don't want this baby to get the short end of the mama stick.
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Mine would be full time working, but with 3 days a week WFH. I manage all of the family stuff as well as working. Being home for bus drop offs as well as therapy appointments is what I need. Going into the office 3 days a week doesn't help right now. I need more balance/time at home to manage it all.
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@MrsBucky: I need a "figure it out" buddy too! I currently work full time in an office, and I mostly enjoy/ appreciate it. I make a good income, have decent flexibility, and get a break from my kids who I love (but I have 3 boys under 5 so hopefully people understand why a break may be nice ha). BUT I find myself wanting a different arrangement and feeling a little selfish for complaining or not being happy with my current one which on paper seems OK. I feel like I can't succeed at or be fully invested in either of my roles, and I would like the opportunity to put my family/ home first for a change. Anyhow I have lots more thoughts on this topic but eeeps have to run to a work meeting!
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FT with flexibility to work from home as I needed. I have some of that now with being able to work from home twice/week, but my boss is single with no kids, so she doesn't always understand when I have to take off for them.
It's super important to me to work though. DH and I split everything 50/50, so work should be the same. I enjoy what I do, and I love that my boys grow up seeing that caretaking is both parents' job, not just mom's. Just like working is both parents' job, not just dad's.
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I voted stay at home; however, I just went part time and it works for now. My job is stressful, so I'm not sure how long it'll last!
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I have been really thinking about this with our second baby on the way. I work right now M-F 8am-4pm. I really with I could work only 4 days a week 8am-4pm. The extra day I would keep my kids still at daycare and do all the things I cram into weekends. Like grocery shop, run errands, clean the house, etc... I feel then my weekends would be more family focused and less trying to get stuff done. It would give me more time to spend with my kids. I don't know if my work will go for it though...
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I have my ideal right now - I work 9-3:30- so only while kids are in school - I love it!
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@Mamaof2: That would really be awesome!
I hadn't considered a shorter day in at PT schedule, but I really like that idea now that several of you bring it up. It's so hard to try to cram everything in after 5.
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I have a pretty ideal schedule. I work m-th 745-345. And summers/holidays off. I make crap for money but I really like this schedule and at least I have insurance and a pension.
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My ideal would be to cut back to 75% (6 hr days). This would give me the breathing room to keep my house in order, run errands, have a little leisure time, and pick kids up earlier and would work better once they’re in FT grade school too. I will probably ask for this schedule in 3 years when DS starts K.
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@MrsBucky: yes! I feel like I will get sucked into doing work right after s/he is born.... I have a hard time saying no. And I'm having conversations now with a few organizations about picking up work, knowing I'll have to be done with it all within 5 months. It's tough. But I think the closer we get to our due dates the more the answer and next steps will become clear!
Wall me anytime btw!
still trying to figure it out. I can tell you my wine budget has skyrocketed so it’s not going great so far
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