Part time Schedules that worked?

[texmati]

My former boss is asking me about what kind of pt schedules I'd be willing to work. Does anyone have a part time schedule that really works for their family?

[Peony]

How part time? If I am remembering your posts correctly, your big challenge is having multiple small children? Mine aren't that close together but I've got more of them! 8, 4, 2, and one coming this summer. My issue is that everyone is going in all different directions, two of mine get multiple therapies a week, one in school 20 minutes each way, one in very part time preschool, and one who gets dragged along for the ride. My DH works very long hours so almost everything falls to me. For *me*, to keep on top of everything and everyone, NOT feel like I am running around like a crazy woman all week, 15 hours of work a week is about right. 

I run a program for low income moms, grant funded so limited hours I can do. I only do half days (my choosing and partly because the nature of the work) so until lunch and then I'm free the rest of the day. Last year I tried it opposite for a while, going in at lunch and leaving at 5, I prefer working the mornings because the other way I kept thinking about work all morning when I could of been playing with kids. Now I wake up, get everyone ready for the day, leave. When I return the sitter has fed the kids at home lunch, I can put down the one that naps, and have the afternoon to do our normal routine. My hours do vary, I am currently doing 3 mornings a week through May, I have arranged to work less when children are out of school, I go down to 1-2 mornings a week, benefit of being the supervisor! I've been doing this particular schedule a year now and have found it to be very doable. On rare weeks that all sorts of things pop up with work and I find myself doing more hours, things at home get much more crazy, I miss things, and find myself just trying to survive. We get through it but it isn't something that I would want to do week after week for an extended amount of time. I rarely feel stressed or that I can't handle everything when I stay 15 hours or less.

[34me]

I work 20 hours a week. When my kiddos were little I worked a crazy, all over the place schedule. I work 20 min from home. Right now I drop off my youngest from school and go to work. I leave work a out 45 minutes before he gets out and I pick him up. Next year when he hits 7th grade he will be responsible for getting himself back and forth the mile and a half to school when the weather is nice. My dh also works looong hours 45 minutes from home. I do alot of running around for sports and other activities. The best one is driving school; they pick up at school and she drives around for 2 hours and then drives herself home. Oh and I don't work Fridays.

[Rowansmama]

Well, I work from home so this may be of no help to you, but I work about 20 hours a week after my kids are in bed. I have tried to have sitters come to the house and do some work during the day, but I just can't focus on work when I can hear the kids playing or needing something. So, I go to work around 7:30 or 8:00 each evening and work about 2 or 3 hours, plus a few hours on the weekend while DH takes them. It is really, really painful sometimes because all I want to do is get on the couch and chill, but I remind myself that it's only for a few short years and then they'll be in school. For me, evening work is the only work I can do because I want so badly to be there for them during the day.

[Lillitu]

My DP and I alternate child care and very rarely need a babysitter, unless we wanna go somewhere together without the kid. What works for us is having my school class schedule be consolidated on one or two days, and the rest be flexible (online classes or study time). That way, he can work from home on some days and out of the house on the days that I am home.

[mio2323]

I work evenings and weekends.  My husband is gone 4 days a week from 7-7 and works from home 1 day a week, but is not available at all during that time.  He gets home from work, and I head out to work.  Usually I work about 28 hours a week.  Two days a week I work 8pm-12ish, one day I work 4pm-1ish and one 12 hour day on the weekend. 

Our kids are 3 and 1, so still pretty needy. Our schedule is pretty rough in a lot of ways.  Not seeing each other, losing an entire weekend day, missing bedtime 3 nights a week, getting 5 hours of sleep most night, at most, all of these things stink. 

That being said, I am very lucky to have worked out this schedule and not having the boys in day care is worth it to me.  We co-sleep with the 1 year old, so that helps a lot. 

I don't want to do it forever, but appreciate the flexibility now.