Taking the summer off as a working mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean do whatever you want, but I don't see the real benefit since you already spend 4 days a week with him and only work 3 days a week.

+1

I'm not really understanding Op's post either It's not much of a shift from a regular week.

Humblebrag?

I don’t view a sporadic part-time job and lack of professional childcare as bragworthy

But I agree - only reason to do this is if the “older relative” is unable to take the kid out and give him a lot of active time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have started doing this- taking 6 weeks off for the summer with my elementary school kids. I love it. It gives them a relaxed start to the summer- we hang out at the pool, etc. We do go on vacation too. For the end of the summer they go to camp. I'm a long term valued fed who works really hard 11 months of the year- so I am able to get the consecutive weeks off.

How do you save enough leave to take 6 weeks every summer?

[Anonymous]

OP, if you’re only working “a few hours”, three days per week, you spend a LOT more time with your kid than the average working parent. I wouldn’t give up a job you like, that allows you to do that.

[Anonymous]

Op here. The reason I’d consider this even though I already work less during the week than most is because I still feel “on call” during those 2 non work days. No one bothers me much but I still feel compelled to check emails in case something really urgent comes up. Those 3 days of work are also pretty busy - I get paid the same as I did when I worked 5 days so I compress my work which used to take 5 days into 3. A whole chunk of time off would really allow me to be in the moment with my child and truly be off.

[Anonymous]

Only you can know if this is a good decision, we don't know your job/work circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. The reason I’d consider this even though I already work less during the week than most is because I still feel “on call” during those 2 non work days. No one bothers me much but I still feel compelled to check emails in case something really urgent comes up. Those 3 days of work are also pretty busy - I get paid the same as I did when I worked 5 days so I compress my work which used to take 5 days into 3. A whole chunk of time off would really allow me to be in the moment with my child and truly be off.

Why not all. Why not

I hate other (jealous) wohms tearing down because they didn't do it, they couldn't do it.
Don't you want things to be better for everyone?
There's too much "I had to stay in the game and work my way up so you should too."

OP, spend as much time with your child as you can. Parents should be able to move in and out of the workplace fluidly according to family needs. Trust me (as a currently working mom) none of the intertia in the workplace is lost things keep on keeping on

[Anonymous]

My neighbors have a condo at a DE beach and they save all their PTO go to the beach for 2-4 weeks every summer - their kids are mid-elementary now. They said it’s a really great reset to connect as a family before another school year starts.

I say go do it if you have the leave banked and work can accommodate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. The reason I’d consider this even though I already work less during the week than most is because I still feel “on call” during those 2 non work days. No one bothers me much but I still feel compelled to check emails in case something really urgent comes up. Those 3 days of work are also pretty busy - I get paid the same as I did when I worked 5 days so I compress my work which used to take 5 days into 3. A whole chunk of time off would really allow me to be in the moment with my child and truly be off.

I think this is a really good reason. When my oldest was an infant I worked 80% until he was a year. Lots of people told me not to - that I wouldn’t work 4 - 8hr days, but I would just work less. They were right. It was a small relief, but I never felt I had full freedom to just be out of pocket all day Friday. It doesn’t matter if your colleagues are the issue, if you don’t have firm boundaries, or it’s just guilt even when you uphold your boundaries about your time. All that matters is that if taking PTO/Leave for 4 weeks will let you completely disconnect and feel like you can go where you want and when - then do it.

One thing to consider is whether 8 weeks will truly be bette than 4. Does the 8th bite of cake taste as good as the 4th? If you can roll / bank leave - can you do a month this summer and a month next summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean do whatever you want, but I don't see the real benefit since you already spend 4 days a week with him and only work 3 days a week.

+1

I'm not really understanding Op's post either It's not much of a shift from a regular week.

Humblebrag?

I don’t view a sporadic part-time job and lack of professional childcare as bragworthy

But I agree - only reason to do this is if the “older relative” is unable to take the kid out and give him a lot of active time.

Yes having someone else raise your kid, especially in an institutionalized setting, is better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean do whatever you want, but I don't see the real benefit since you already spend 4 days a week with him and only work 3 days a week.

+1

I'm not really understanding Op's post either It's not much of a shift from a regular week.

Humblebrag?

I don’t view a sporadic part-time job and lack of professional childcare as bragworthy

But I agree - only reason to do this is if the “older relative” is unable to take the kid out and give him a lot of active time.

Why not want to spend time with your kid? They’re only young once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean do whatever you want, but I don't see the real benefit since you already spend 4 days a week with him and only work 3 days a week.

+1

I'm not really understanding Op's post either It's not much of a shift from a regular week.

Humblebrag?

I don’t view a sporadic part-time job and lack of professional childcare as bragworthy

But I agree - only reason to do this is if the “older relative” is unable to take the kid out and give him a lot of active time.

Professional childcare is an oxymoron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that OP specifically says the summer I think it’s reasonable to assume the kid is school age and this would be an alternative to camp. OP, if you do this can you report back how it goes with work? I would absolutely love to do this with my elementary aged kids.

Given that OP specifically stated in her OP that this is her child's last summer before preschool and that it's the last of his young toddler days I think it's reasonable to assume the kid is much younger than school age and "camp" in it's traditional sense is not an option.

+1. Childcare is definitely a consideration here, unless you are moving them to a new situation anyway in the Fall. Some kids this age do not transition well to different care situations. After being at home all summer with a child this age, I would anticipate a potentially rocky start to pre-school.

This really depends on the child. I had my dd home for the summers before preschool. I’m a teacher, and her daycare let us take the summers off. I unenrolled her the summer before preschool. She transitioned much better to preschool than she had to daycare the previous year. Kids transition to preschool from all sorts of settings—stay-at-home parent, nanny, daycare…I loved getting to be a stay-at-home mom for those summers. I get that my situation was different since I already had the summers off. However, I wouldn’t just assume the transition would be hard on the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean do whatever you want, but I don't see the real benefit since you already spend 4 days a week with him and only work 3 days a week.

+1

I'm not really understanding Op's post either It's not much of a shift from a regular week.

Humblebrag?

I don’t view a sporadic part-time job and lack of professional childcare as bragworthy

But I agree - only reason to do this is if the “older relative” is unable to take the kid out and give him a lot of active time.

Yes having someone else raise your kid, especially in an institutionalized setting, is better.

Why do people use this word re: daycare. It's obnoxious and designed to make working moms feel bad. Daycare is not a Soviet group home. My kid's daycare has more toys and books than we have and they do fun crafts all day. It's a place of joy and warmth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean do whatever you want, but I don't see the real benefit since you already spend 4 days a week with him and only work 3 days a week.

+1

I'm not really understanding Op's post either It's not much of a shift from a regular week.

Humblebrag?

I don’t view a sporadic part-time job and lack of professional childcare as bragworthy

But I agree - only reason to do this is if the “older relative” is unable to take the kid out and give him a lot of active time.

Yes having someone else raise your kid, especially in an institutionalized setting, is better.

Why do people use this word re: daycare. It's obnoxious and designed to make working moms feel bad. Daycare is not a Soviet group home. My kid's daycare has more toys and books than we have and they do fun crafts all day. It's a place of joy and warmth.

A lot of daycares can be great. But it is an institution run for profit in a group setting so the term is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. The reason I’d consider this even though I already work less during the week than most is because I still feel “on call” during those 2 non work days. No one bothers me much but I still feel compelled to check emails in case something really urgent comes up. Those 3 days of work are also pretty busy - I get paid the same as I did when I worked 5 days so I compress my work which used to take 5 days into 3. A whole chunk of time off would really allow me to be in the moment with my child and truly be off.

Why not all. Why not

I hate other (jealous) wohms tearing down because they didn't do it, they couldn't do it.
Don't you want things to be better for everyone?
There's too much "I had to stay in the game and work my way up so you should too."

OP, spend as much time with your child as you can. Parents should be able to move in and out of the workplace fluidly according to family needs. Trust me (as a currently working mom) none of the intertia in the workplace is lost things keep on keeping on

How in the world are businesses and even just society supposed to function with parents being "fluid?" Imagine your house catches on fire and when you call 911 they say "Oh, sorry. All of our firefighters are parents who are moving in and out of the work place fluidly according to their family needs right now. Maybe they'll be available to help you in a few months."