few long days or more short days?

[artgirl]

This is related to how many hours a week everyone works...
What is your opinion? Is it better to work like 2 10 hour days and be away from baby like that or to spread it out into shorter absences that are more frequent... like 5 four hour days?

(I'm still really struggling with my work schedule)

[Mallory]

Well I don't work very much but I prefer a couple long days.
The time that I would spend, getting ready, driving, whatever seems to make up for being gone for a longer time.

But there is also an advantage to having a more regular schedule. I know my boys do not follow any normal schedule the two night a week I am gone. But if I was regularly gone 4 or 5 days there would probably be more of a routine to my absences.

[Lucky Charm]

I like a few long days.
i have experience on both sides.

i worked parttime in a bank before i was nurse. 20 hrs a week, 4 five hour days, and then 5 four hour days. it was ok at the time, as i knew no different.

now, i work 2 twelve hour days, and i would never go back to the other way. this is much better for me, and my kids.

i had to do both, to find what works best for me and mine!

:binky

[delighted.mama]

I'm kind of wondering this myself. It looks like I might have the option of going part-time and I'm debating if its better to do 2-3 long days or 5 short days. Like the previous poster said, I think you have to consider travelling, child care costs and what type of work you do to make that decision. I find that if I work a short day now, I actually get less done. But, I also have to be here every day, so maybe that makes a difference.

For me, I think a couple of longer days would allow me to do more work and dd wouldn't have to be in outside childcare for as long of a time. So, I guess I would opt for longer hours but less days. But, I'm not quite there yet, so I'll have to see what happens!


Libby

[*~*SewHappyNow*~*]

I was wondering this myself, too. When I go back to work, if they let me go part time, I am thinking working 30-36 hours in 12 hour and 9 hour shifts.

dh is a SAHD so day care isn't an issue. I just worry how baby will feel not seeing mommy all day long 2-3 days a week. The other issue is, there may not be anyone who wants to slpit shifts anyways, so I may have no choice but to work 9-12 hours a day anyhow.

[Indigomama]

While I agree with the others on costs (i.e childcare 5 hours/day vs 8 is no different) and general hassle makes working fewer longer days seem easier.... it didn't work for me.

The big factor was ds..... he in general doesn't not transition well so working more days fewer hours provided way more of a routine which made his life (and consequently mine) tons easier even though it's more work for me (driving... extra hours, etc). Only working 3 days (for me) was really tough on him, while working five (but shorter) was way easier on him.

[hulamama]

I have been pondering this too.....really, though in my situation (teaching), in order to go part time, I may have to take what I can get. Ideally, I would love to do a half day kindergarten class. I would still be the sole teacher (so no time needed to communicate with a job share partner)--but it would mean everyday for just a few short hours dd would be in daycare, vs. ,me job-sharing and working 2-3 days a week with the all day schedule. It is nice to hear the ups and downs of both scenarios. I tend to think with the way I am that going every day (just for the routine) would be a better way to spread out the time......good question!

[normee]

The baby's age is a consideration, too. I worked 5 shorter days the first year or so after both dds were done. It meant only having to pump once at work and less bottles. I thought it was also more important at the young age to have less time away from mom and a more consistent schedule. Now that they are older, working fewer, longer days would be good because it would be nice to have a break at least once a week from the hectic mornings and we would be able to do some of those things we can't squeeze in after work.

Normee
Mommy to Katie (7/3/99) and Abby (6/30/01)

[Very Snoofly]

I started back to work full-time (37.5 hrs/week) when my daughter was 4 months old. I worked every day from 7 to 2:30. My husband took care of her in the early morning, and then dropped her off at his parents around 9:30 or 10:00; I was able to pick her up around 3. She only needed 2 bottles a day (which meant only 2 pumping sessions), and I had long afternoons to spend with her; she was only without a parent for about 5 hours a day.

Starting in January, I started working a 4-day week; 9.5 hours Mon-Thurs, with every Friday off. The first four days of the week are really long and exhausting, and I hate only spending a few hours at the end of the day with my daughter. However, having a long weekend every week is wonderful. I don't think I would have been comfortable with this schedule when Mallory was a tiny baby and was nursing more. (We still nurse, but not as frequently and she's okay with waiting for me to get home on my workdays.)

So, what worked for me was 5 shorter days while she was a "baby" and 4 long days now that she's a "toddler."

[1jooj]

For me it's a childcare issue; I work as many hours at the office as I can fit into 3 days. Sometimes that's more like 15, sometimes more like 25+. It's best when it's about 18 in 3 days.