(no subject)
So, next September YB starts school, which throws up, erm, challenges. Currently OB and I work 25 miles away from home, at the same establishment, and YB goes to nursery 10mins from our respective offices. We all drive in to Mcr together, OB and I can do a full day's work (plus, invariably, a little flexi for me) and then we all go home together. If YB is ill during the day we can be there quickly. And because of the University's flexibility and family-friendly policies, if he's ill we can take a day off at short notice to look after him.
This won't be quite so easy next year. We'll be an hour away, the school day is a lot shorter than nursery and there are SO MANY HOLIDAYS!
OldBloke has put in for Early Retirement/Voluntary Severance. Things will be tight if he gets it and decides to take it, but it ought to cover the mortgage and we ought to be able to cope on my salary and tax breaks. This is fully supported by my bosses who really don't want to see me have to give up my job. Partly on feminist grounds and partly because we all work well together. The other option is for me to take one year's family leave, to get YB settled in at school. Then I would go back part-time. I work a 35hr week so if I went back on 60%, I could work 8am till 1pm and be home in ample time to collect YB from school, all travelling by train. I could actually work additional hours to buld up flexi, ready for the holidays. OB could drop YB off at school and drive to work, because the traffic's lighter at that time of day, work 10am till 6pm and get a full day in. I could follow that by going up to 80%, working 8am till 2pm. I should get home by 3.30 but could do longer days now and again to get YB used to after-school clubs - again building up flexi for holidays. This also has the support of my bosses. Eventually I'd go back full-time, splitting school drop-offs and collections with OB. I'd probably need to use unpaid leave for some holidays if I did that but again, not a problem.
I think if I'd been at home full-time with YB he might find the transition to school quite hard. However, he's used to a very full day - 8.30am to 4.30pm - so after-school clubs shouldn't be hard for him. Obviously, if he doesn't settle we'll re-think everything!
This won't be quite so easy next year. We'll be an hour away, the school day is a lot shorter than nursery and there are SO MANY HOLIDAYS!
OldBloke has put in for Early Retirement/Voluntary Severance. Things will be tight if he gets it and decides to take it, but it ought to cover the mortgage and we ought to be able to cope on my salary and tax breaks. This is fully supported by my bosses who really don't want to see me have to give up my job. Partly on feminist grounds and partly because we all work well together. The other option is for me to take one year's family leave, to get YB settled in at school. Then I would go back part-time. I work a 35hr week so if I went back on 60%, I could work 8am till 1pm and be home in ample time to collect YB from school, all travelling by train. I could actually work additional hours to buld up flexi, ready for the holidays. OB could drop YB off at school and drive to work, because the traffic's lighter at that time of day, work 10am till 6pm and get a full day in. I could follow that by going up to 80%, working 8am till 2pm. I should get home by 3.30 but could do longer days now and again to get YB used to after-school clubs - again building up flexi for holidays. This also has the support of my bosses. Eventually I'd go back full-time, splitting school drop-offs and collections with OB. I'd probably need to use unpaid leave for some holidays if I did that but again, not a problem.
I think if I'd been at home full-time with YB he might find the transition to school quite hard. However, he's used to a very full day - 8.30am to 4.30pm - so after-school clubs shouldn't be hard for him. Obviously, if he doesn't settle we'll re-think everything!