Question:
I have the *exact* same situation! I worked full-time for the same place for 8 years. When I went on maternity leave, I swore I’d be back full-time in no time. Wrong! I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving DS 5 days a week:( I also proposed only coming back 3 days per week to my boss & worked that out. I work Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday. I love this arrangement. I have a three day weekend, for 3 days in a row with Logan. I work Tuesday, then have Wednesday to be with him again and do all the laundry and bottle washing, etc that needs done for the next two workdays. Knowing how it feels on Thursday night, I couldn’t stand to work more than two days in a row! On Thursday night, there’s no time to play, I have to get dinner, wash dishes, then get ready for Friday morning – before you know it, it’s Logan’s bedtime & we don’t hardly see each other! I know I’m spoiled. *Many* mothers work 5 days per week with more than one kid and they survive just fine, but since I have the option of being spoiled, I wouldn’t give it up for the world! But really, this week’s arrangement seems to fit perfectly for us. I hope you work out the days that will work just as well for you! Let us know… — Mary http://home.att.net/~mthill/
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi. After my maternity leave, I went back to work full time. Yuck! I have > since realized that I cannot beat to be away from my son that much. So there > is a really decent chance that my employer will let me cut down to part > time. I will be working 3 days a week instead. So the question is, would you > work 3 days in a row and spend 4 days in a row with your child or would you > stagger? Are there any pros and cons to either that I am not thinking of? > Thanks > S
Response:
> Actually, I am not as much worried about what is good for my employer as I > am about what is good for my son. I wonder if either of these would appeal > to him better. Hard to ask him. He is only 3.5 months.
You mistake my thought. I am not looking at the question you pose from the employer’s point of view, but from my own. Going in a day here and a day there, instead of a couple in a row, or as another poster suggested, all mornings, would break my concentration. This would make me less happy with my work and more frustrated. Personally, after reading the other poster’s suggestion of five half days, I vote for that idea. Your baby will nap a great deal of the time [particularly afternoons] until she is older and you won’t feel like you are missing out on that much parenting stuff, while still getting a lot of what you are looking for from being in a working environment. -Aula
Response:
Hi. After my maternity leave, I went back to work full time. Yuck! I have since realized that I cannot beat to be away from my son that much. So there is a really decent chance that my employer will let me cut down to part time. I will be working 3 days a week instead. So the question is, would you work 3 days in a row and spend 4 days in a row with your child or would you stagger? Are there any pros and cons to either that I am not thinking of? Thanks S
Response:
> Hi. After my maternity leave, I went back to work full time. Yuck! I have > since realized that I cannot beat to be away from my son that much. So there > is a really decent chance that my employer will let me cut down to part > time. I will be working 3 days a week instead. So the question is, would you > work 3 days in a row and spend 4 days in a row with your child or would you > stagger? Are there any pros and cons to either that I am not thinking of?
Three days in a row: You just get rolling and go home for a day, and you get back and catch up on the voice mail and email and just get rolling and you go home for a day and you get back and catch up on the voice mail and email and just get rolling and you have two days off. Any projects that take a bit of time will be hard for you to maintain your mental continuity on. OTOH, if you are performing a job that is more like secretarial, sales, etc., then you don’t have that problem. -Aula
Response:
JMO, but frankly I’d prefer to work 5 days a week, but mornings only. That way I’d see my kids the same hours every day. Routine is important. -saying this from the perspective of a full time primary cargiving dad-
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi. After my maternity leave, I went back to work full time. Yuck! I have > since realized that I cannot beat to be away from my son that much. So there > is a really decent chance that my employer will let me cut down to part > time. I will be working 3 days a week instead. So the question is, would you > work 3 days in a row and spend 4 days in a row with your child or would you > stagger? Are there any pros and cons to either that I am not thinking of? > Thanks > S
Response:
<snipped> > -saying this from the perspective of a full time primary cargiving dad-
cargiving? Man, you’re nice to your kids!! ;-) Kitten
Response:
Actually, I am not as much worried about what is good for my employer as I am about what is good for my son. I wonder if either of these would appeal to him better. Hard to ask him. He is only 3.5 months. Stephanie
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi. After my maternity leave, I went back to work full time. Yuck! I have > since realized that I cannot beat to be away from my son that much. So > there > is a really decent chance that my employer will let me cut down to part > time. I will be working 3 days a week instead. So the question is, would > you > work 3 days in a row and spend 4 days in a row with your child or would > you > stagger? Are there any pros and cons to either that I am not thinking of? > Three days in a row: You just get rolling and go home for a day, and you > get back and catch up on the voice mail and email and just get rolling and > you go home for a day and you get back and catch up on the voice mail and > email and just get rolling and you have two days off. Any projects that > take a bit of time will be hard for you to maintain your mental continuity > on. OTOH, if you are performing a job that is more like secretarial, sales, > etc., then you don’t have that problem. > -Aula
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