Is my logic sound? (Childcare and going back to work)

celebrate

How do I convince him that this is an investment?[/QUOTE]

bringing up sound decent kids is an investment too!!!
How I wish I could stay at home!!

BrandNewDay

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

I don't want to keep sounding negative, but have you checked with your DH exactly why he isn't keen?

It might be more than the childcare costs.

If he is working long days, and he can't see a return in the money because childcare will take all the money, I can see why he isn't keen for you to put the children in to childcare.

Also at weekends, he might be looking to spend family time.

Whatever you do, make sure it is what everyone in the family wants. I have seen too many people go through marital difficulties in pursuit of an extra few pounds a week, that wasn't necessary for the family pot.

I agree with your pursuit, but again think just another year or two before preschool starts is long enough to wait for the little gain you will get.

Sorry if I am sounding negative

Oh, he wouldn't mind me working all weekend. It's not "family time" that he's worried about. Conversely, I'm sick of being a stay-at-home mum. I'm ready to get out there and so something.

I don't think that the youngest in preschool will make that big a difference. It's only for 2.5 hours a day and I can't really do much cleaning during that time. But, it would make childcare slightly less expensive.

I also don't the gain is that little. Two years is a significant amount of time to be growing a business. Two years from now, I can either be where I am, now. Or, I can have a profitable business up and running.

BrandNewDay

Nicki wrote: »

What about tax and national insurance. You will need to earn £100 of net income to cover your childcare costs, not £100 in your hand. If your aim is to set up a cleaning agency, you will eventually come up on the inland revenue's radar and they will look back to see what you have been earning once they catch up with you. My brother fell foul of this a few years ago, and ended up with a demand for nearly £10k back tax to be paid immediately or risk a prison sentence.

Hi! I'm not a moron! I said in my first post that it would take £100 PROFIT to cover the costs of child care.

Nobody is going to come after me because I have no intention of doing anything illegal. It will be a long time before I owe a significant amount of taxes, and when that day comes, I'll be happy to be so profitable.

BrandNewDay

RadoJo wrote: »

Well, your husband's logic is definitely sound - you would need to earn over £100 a week to make it worth your while to work, but that doesn't necessarily mean that there's no point starting a business unless you have a guaranteed £100 right from the start. At least the business you have chosen will incur minimal start up costs - presumably once you've printed your fliers you don't actually have any other outgoings for the time being, in which case I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect his support.

Is it possible that he's concerned that once you start, you won't want to give it up even if it's not financially practical? Perhaps if you said 'I really want to give it six months/a year/ x length of time to see if I can make a go of it, but if it's not paying for childcare and a little extra in that time, then we'll reconsider the options' he would be a bit more enthusiastic!

I'm not sure that's his concern, but I do like that idea, anyway. I think it's only sensible to give yourself a specific goal and, if it's not met, consider calling it quits.

BrandNewDay

Spendless wrote: »

Have you checked with any agencies? At work, we'd love our cleaner to come in either those hours or at the end of the day, instead of bang in the middle, when muddy footprints are over the mopped floor within minutes and someone has to compromise over whether she vacs or whether we can take phone calls. Ours won't change though, cos she has other cleaning jobs at beginning and end, which is more than the 2 hours we ask for per week.

Thanks for that. I am going to contact a couple of commercial cleaning companies and ask if they need anybody for mornings or late evenings.

I'd be happy to work for close to minimum wage if it were steady and I could just consider it something to cover part of child care.

Savvy_Sue

BrandNewDay wrote: »

And, they're his children, too! Why is he only considering my income against the cost of childcare?

Have you asked him? If I'd had to pay for childcare when I first went back to work, we'd have made a loss, but that wasn't the point!

BrandNewDay wrote: »

Sure, at the moment, my going back to work won't add to our household income very much, but in time, I'll be bringing in money - perhaps even more than he earns.

Maybe that's what he 's really worried about!

Fly_Baby

OP, I don't mean to sound disrespectful about your husband, but whether or not you should start the cleaning business is really your decision, not his. His job as a loyal partner is to support you in your aspiration, including financially. You have done that for him, sacrificing your life and your career options in order to raise the children - which are his as much as yours, as you rightfully pointed out.

Your husband may have doubts about your business for any reasons - but I do believe that you should listen to yourself here. It is your life, you owe it to yourself to live it to the full and at 41 you are not getting any younger. Sorry for being harsh but I am saying the same to myself at 31.

I think you know it all yourself really and yes, your logic is sound. I get an impression that you will succeed - and you have to give it a try. If worst comes to worst all you are losing is some money - whereas the opportunity to pursue your dream is worth much more.

Best of luck and feel free to PM me if you want to talk about dealing with hubby (I know mine took a lot of persuading when I went back to work - and neither me nor him regretted it in the end).