How to handle a 40 hr work week +commute

amother

Yellow

Tue, Jul 21 2015, 8:24 pm

I may be offered a job with a 40 hr work week. I can choose my schedule but I have to stick with it. My commute would be 40 min-1.5 hrs. My kids (They start 9:30)would be getting out of school at 3:30--with an option of extended day until 4:30, but I have a baby at home that will need a babysitter all day. Can you help me figure out the best schedule--I don't know for sure how to handle Fridays. It's a Jewish company so I would get off for y"t (not sure about chol hamoed). On the one hand I have a hard time getting out the door in the morning, on the other hand, I want to be home for my kids in the afternoon.

acccdac

Tue, Jul 21 2015, 8:38 pm

Is your dh in the picture? when is he around? what is his schedule?

(for example, I told my dh when I switch to public school, which he is pushing for, I would need him to stay home 1/2 longer in the mornings to send the kids off to school. That 1/2 hour may add anything from 15-45 minutes to his commute but I'm not willing to have my kids leave for the day without one parent home)

OneSource

Wed, Jul 22 2015, 6:38 am

Sounds like your would be schedule is my life.

I have an all day nanny at the house for my newbie. She coordinates getting my daughter on a 7:30am bus and come september, my son for pickup for preschool. She's still there when my daughter gets off the bus and meet her at the stop with the other two kids in tow. I get home around 6pm so I can do homework, bathe baby, prepare lunches for the next day, etc.

If you have a small child at home who is going to need a person there all day - don't make yourself crazy. Put your kids on the bus and have the all day lady get them on it and collect them when they get off. You go to work when she arrives and she leaves when you get home. Otherwise, I'm not sure how you can clock a 40hr work week between 9:30 and 3:30.

Good luck!

esther09

Wed, Jul 22 2015, 7:32 am

Depending on how hard of a time you actually have getting out the door, like you mentioned, I would choose earlier work hours:

1. I'm assuming the range in time for your commute is because of traffic. If you can beat both morning and afternoon rush hour, you'll waste so much less time per day.

2. If your DH can take care of morning school drop offs - you can then be home with you kids in the afternoon.

3. Personally, I like being home earlier. You still feel like you have your whole night to spend time with kids, cook/heat up dinner, laundry, etc.

4. Earlier hours in general will help with shabbos (if you work 7:30-3:30 for example, much of the year you wouldn't have a problem). Your boss may ask you to work extra hours Thursday nights, which is also easier with an earlier schedule.

Good luck!

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Jul 22 2015, 2:42 pm

I work a 40 hour workweek.

I have a babysitter from 8-7. (When my older kids were babies I had a non-Jewish, Spanish babysitter, and it was basically fine. Now that I have older kids I found an older frum babysitter who can do the hours and communicates well with them. I live in an area with many Jewish babysitters).

I work roughly 9-5:30. I put the older kids on the school bus before 8 am and then leave to work. I also prepare dinner before I leave (but it's a very simple dinner like leftover chicken cutlets, macaroni and cheese, or frozen pizza). I make sure we also have milk, fruit, yogurt, cheese, etc. I also leave my credit card with the babysitter in case she needs to buy something during the day for the kids.

The babysitter takes care of the baby all day, and picks up my kids from pre-school (3:30) and the school bus (4 pm). She unpacks their bags and gives them snacks and/or dinner. She sits the older one(s) down to do homework and lets the younger ones play until I get home at 6:30. She also gives the younger kids a bath twice a week.

When I get home at 6:30, I need to review Chumash homework and sign the kids' homework sheets. When my husband gets home, we sit and eat dinner together. Then one of us brush the kids' teeth, say Shema, and put them to bed.

I do most of my shopping online and I have a weekly grocery order with a kosher grocery. It's pretty okay ...

The hard part is waking the kids' up so early to make the school bus. My oldest needs to get up at 6:45. I also enroll everyone in school lunch whether they like it or not, because I have no desire to be packing lunches.

amother

Yellow

Wed, Jul 22 2015, 9:04 pm

Op here, thanks all. I was offered the job, but even if my DH would've handled the morning--which actually was in the picture from the beginning, I don't think I could've handled getting out the door SO early+traffic+parking--every.single.day. The salary offered wasn't worth it--and a large chunk would've gone to babysitting Tongue Out

. My line of work can have better hours and better pay. Hopefully it will come up soon!

Mrs Bissli

Thu, Jul 23 2015, 8:44 pm

Another advocate for an early morning start. Easier commuting is a big plus, and I find morning hours are more productive. Also you feel less guilty leaving early. It's a matter of getting accustomed to, and doing preparation the night before (esp things like what to wear the next day, leave out accessories, pack bags/noshes etc). I'm usually up just before 6am, leave the house between 6:30 and 6:45, be at my desk by 7:30.

I only have older children in school full-time, but DH stays home till 7am when the morning nanny arrives (she also does the school run). I have a different afternoon nanny who does the pick up and stay till 6:30-7pm. Most days I can leave around 6pm so be home just after 7pm, occasionally I may stay up till 8-9pm in which case I do conference call with home to go over homework etc.

Someone else asked a very good question about working from home. It may help if you can squeeze a few hours in the evening after your family time with the children. It also comes handy in winter--you can clock in extra hours on motz shab that way.

Also a reminder to allocate more hours earlier in the week, when you're less tired. And also because you'll need Thursday evening to do cooking/shopping/preparing for Shabbat. I work full time on Fridays (leave the office about 2-2.5hours before Shabbat comes in) so I finish all my main cooking on Thursday night (or do prep and gives precise instruction to DH).

Fave

Thu, Jul 23 2015, 10:24 pm

Mrs Bissli wrote:

It sounds like your doing 60 hour weeks