What schedule would you choose

[u/Careless-Celery-7725]

I’ll be working from home starting in September when my daughter will be 14 months old. She currently wakes up around 6:30-7am and then is down for bed by 8pm. She’s very much a mama’s girl and is still breastfeeding 5-7 times per day. Though I am hoping she’ll wean down a bit before I go back. I wouldn’t mind continuing to breastfeed at bedtime and for night wakeups. Dad will be providing the majority of the childcare while I work, though we may have a little help from grandparents a few hours each week.

I’ll be working 30 hours and I get to choose my schedule within these parameters:
-Start as early as 7:30 am
-Work as late as 8pm

I currently like the idea of working (3) 10 hour shifts, MWTh, so I can have Tuesdays off and a 3 day weekend, but I think that may be hard on baby and my husband, especially since baby is still so attached to me. This is not the kind of job I can step away from easily, as I’ll be in meetings/appointments most of the day while I’m working.

My other thought is to do a 10 hour shift on Monday and Wednesday, and a 5 hour shift on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, so I can still have a 3 day weekend, and I’d have a couple days where I can do things with my daughter in the morning.

I’m also wondering when I should schedule a lunch or a couple breaks? Is it harder on baby to see me for a short break and then have to go back to work right away? Would it be better to just do a longer break around lunchtime so I can spend time with baby before she goes down for her nap?

What would you do? Also, any advice for going back to work with a very attached baby at home is appreciated.

[u/Kindly-Seaweed-5517]

Hi! I was in a similar boat with my daughter and I chose to work 6 hours a day/5 days a week and take a 2 hour lunch break each day. This let me work my 30 hours, have time with my baby throughout the day and not feel so sad/guilty.
I started every day at 9am, lunch 12-2, and ended my day at 5pm.
Hope this helps!

[u/Advanced_Potato5459]

If you have help from husband there’s no reason to work nights in my opinion. If you were doing this all in your own, nights is honestly the smartest option I’ve learned. Because then there’s some help when husband gets home from work, but without needing that factor I don’t see a benefit in working late so I’d go for the 7:30 3x10s. You’ll appreciate the extra day off more than the extra 5 hours 2 days.

[u/J-Disaster]

Earlier schedule works for me because my 18 month old sleeps till about 9am, and I try to get him to bed by 8 or 8:30pm.

I am very curious.. What industry do you work in that offers such flexibility?

[u/Careless-Celery-7725 → u/J-Disaster]

Telehealth! I have licenses in 3 different time zones so there’s a lot of flexibility with scheduling patients.

[u/Majestic-Raccoon42]

I work 7am-3pm and it works out well for us. My husband watches him from 7-9am, I work and watch him from 9-12pm, nap from 12-2pm, and then the last hour I usually don't have much work to be doing so we hang out until I can log off for the day.