Working mummies?

Nara

Hi all,

After 10 months of my partner being unemployed since being made redundant he is starting a new job in a couple weeks!

The thing is we had a meeting at where i work and my boss has asked how we can cut costs so we were discussing cutting hours etc. I only work 1 day a week atm and now my DD has started school i would like to increase my hours not cut them.
I don't really enjoy where i work or what i do (the fact our boss in this meeting said 'well some staff are more valuble then others didn't really impress most of us lol) so i don't mind leaving my work if i find a better offer.

But how do other mums manage? It seems impossible to get a job that works around school hours and my DD is to young to leave at a breakfast/afternoon club atm as she has only just started school. Also if i end up with a min wage job its hardly worth paying for childcare?

I'm no good at party kind of jobs, like anne summers, or stuff like avon, i rarely socialise and i have like 1 friend lol, so i doubt i would be able to sell anything! In face im useless at that kind of thing.
Just wondered how other parents manage, as we have no family able to babysit.

Oldernotwiser

You can get help with childcare costs if both you and your partner are working at least 16 hours per week.

Many people in your situation work in the evenings/weekends when your partner can look after the child.

Dizzie77

Try looking for jobs in schools?
Not sure what you are doing now - but there are admin jobs/catering jobs - maybe teaching assistants?

Nara

Yeah i thought about the childcare stuff but i didn't know if you could only earn a certain amount to get that.

I'm a dental nurse atm and i wouldn't mind doing this still but its near impossible to get shift work as patients are booked in from certain times so they need the nurses to be there.

I did think about evening/weekend work but i worry our family will never have time to do things together.

I guess I'm lucky as my partner is going to be getting the same salary he was on and its good enough to live on esp as we have been spending a hell of a lot less since he was made redundant....makes u wonder what you spent all that money on before! I think its been a good thing for us as its made us realise how much money we were wasting.
So i guess i want to work more not for the money firstly but to keep my brain active and because i get bored at home while shes at school now
Housework is getting kinda old now! lol

DCFC79

What about retail, your lil 1 starts school at say 9 and finishes at say 3 30(just a guess) so look for a job that you could between them hours,

or how about working in the evenings say from 6 till 11 and your OH looks after the lil 1

is there any businesses near to where the school is,

xbrenx

I did evening work while my kids were younger. As a housekeeper in a hospital, to be honest it wasn't nice work but it was good to get out and chat with other adults ( i use the term adults loosely lol).

To the OP, don't dismiss evening work out of hand, if you can get work monday to friday, it's doubtful your family would be doing much else anyway because of early mornings. All i missed out on was the tiresome bedtime routine, all that nagging to clean teeth etc! This would then leave your weekends to do the family activities, the daytimes to keep abreast of housework if you so choose OR read through every single thread on here :rotfl:

Good luck.

Furny

The problem with retail jobs is obviouly the Op would still need childcare in the school holidays, this is the main problem i am facing too so i'm just applying for school jobs at the moment to work term time only. My friend went for a catering assistant job a few months ago at a local school & was one of 55 people:eek: they are very popular but you don't know if you don't apply! you may be that person they are looking for.

Nara

Thanks for the ideas

And yes the school holidays makes it a nightmare, really the best option is a job in a school but i can imagine they would be vv popular!
I will keep my eyes peeled for anything, i live in a village so theres no 'big' shops nearby just little local ones but you never know i might get lucky!

kickwhamstunner

Moving to Egypt might be an idea, I hear mummies are revered there.

shadow4

hiya i work every day from 9am till 1pm so i take my kids to school before i start work (the school yard is supervised from 8.45). I then have a couple of hours to myself to get on top of the housework, do the shopping ect so when the kids come home i can do stuff with them I keep all my holidays for when the kids are off and often schools run holiday clubs or you could ask one of the mums at the school who doesnt work if they would help out now and again. I done this with my friend for a couple of years and it worked really well - she was getting a little bit pocket money, my kids got to play with their friends and i didnt have to worry as i knew they were in safe hands.

wordsfan

Wish i could get that job! My mum and I regularly discussing the fact that school hours jobs don't exist any more! When she was raising my sis and i she worke d in pubs (10-3) and shops (in days when shops only opened sat mornings, closed at 5 weekdays and weren't open sundays). These days you're lucky if you can find an office job that doesn't require eve's and weekends. Every Govt wants mum's back at work but doesn't do enough to support this. Yes, you can ask for family friendly hours, I know few people who have but nooone who's succeeded.