Working moms in the UK

Son is almost 2y old. I went back to work at 7m. I am exhausted. He goes to nursery 3d per week. I work from home with him the other 2 days. I am also in the office twice a week commuting 1h at least each way. I still breastfeed so don’t sleep much at night. I honestly believe that it’s impossible to work and have kids in the UK. I am 30 and on a good salary band but with no village and the partner gets involved only on his terms. From Jan it will be 3 days in office and 4d in the nursery. How do other people do?
Like
Share Mobile
Share
  • Share

Show your support

I WFH 3 days a week, go in to the office one day and have Fridays off. My husband WFH mostly. Our youngest goes to nursery 4 days a week and our eldest is at school. I wouldn't work from home with a young child - it's impossible to get anything done! Can you up their nursery days? Work from home more often? I find not having the commute makes things a lot easier as we have more time in the mornings and evenings. We don't have a village either so have to pay for it with nursery and after school clubs.

Wow! I’ve never worked from home but how I could imagine with a child would be hard! Can you drop any hours? Until January, Even the hour commute the work is a lot bless you!

I wouldn’t say it’s impossible but it does take some help. When you say partner are you together or it me just your son’s dad? If your together he should be pulling his weight, I’m not sure what he means by his own terms. I don’t know how people WFH with a child with them, I’d get nothing done so your doing much better than me there xx

I work 3 days a week because for me if I worked the extra 2 by the time I'd paid out childcare, extra tax, student loans etc it wasn't worthwhile. I can work from home with my job but it wouldn't be appropriate to do with my 2.5 year old at home. Are you claiming the tax free childcare and free hours? Have you calculated the cost difference if you did less hours to give you some time?

Also on my WFH days I still drop my boy at home as soon as I can, get back home and have half an hour to do jobs ect. I get loads done without him being there x

Is there any way work would allow/you could afford to drop a day? Being a working parent is so hard, I luckily manage to work around child care but it’s still not easy!!

My son is 14 months and I’ve been back at work nearly 2 months. I work 5 shifts and 40 hours ranging from 420 am starts to getting in at 3am with over an hour commute each way. Also still breastfeeding and his sleep is horrendous. 3 days a week he’s in nursery and 2 days a week I have LO all day and then go to work all evening and it’s tough. I earn more than my partner and it doesn’t make sense for me to drop days but I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I’m permanently exhausted but I just think it’s not forever. Do anything you can to make life a little easier. My housework has slipped, my washing basket is always full, we have quick dinners and I prioritise free time for my LO/ family time over having a tidy house x

I own my own business and have 17 staff so work is full-on. I have to be pretty strict with myself otherwise work and home blur, when I’m working, I’m working and when I’m home I don’t work. I work 4 days, DH works 4 days and baby is in nursery 3 days a week 7.30am - 6pm. We have a cleaner who does 4 hours a week and online shop. I was BF until he turned 11 months when he self-weaned and went from waking 3-4 times a night to once a night! I think it was going to nursery for long days that made my supply drop off and I got a cold. It is hard, it will probably get easier when you have nursery 4 days - we don’t need to worry about food on nursery days as he has breakfast, lunch and dinner there so we just get in do a bottle and straight into bath/bed on those days.

Working mum since my lo was 9 months she’s now nearly 2years old..I would say it’s gets easier but it doesn’t..I do 5 days a week a ten minute walk to work..used to be an hour and half journey there and back but had to change jobs as was too much with the travelling..I am constantly exhausted day in day out non stop! My partner cooks but that’s about it most days I do nights and my lo wakes up a lot at the moment (poorly).. I’m thankful that she loves her nursery as otherwise it would be so much tougher as she goes 5 days.. Women have to juggle so much these days, it’s tough but we manage it somehow! Everyone is doing amazing and just remember give yourself even just ten minutes of sitting in silence for yourself

I work a full time job over 4 days, in the office (although conveniently close) then off work completely on the 5th day with my son. He's at nursery 4 days

Read more on Peanut
Trending in our community