Stay at Home Mum - Pros & Cons

t0rt0ise

jfh7gwa wrote: »

Lack of national insurance contributionsin your name (with regard to qualifying years for the state pension, and any benefits/tax credits implications in the shorter-medium term)

For the state pension you will get NI credits until the youngest child is 12.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/StatePension/DG_183802

jfh7gwa

t0rt0ise - actually that's good to know. i wonder if that's always been the case? perhaps we had inaccurate information when my husband went as the SAHP (admittedly quite a few years ago now) or maybe it's changed since then...

either way - good info to flag for the OP.

t0rt0ise

jfh7gwa wrote: »

t0rt0ise - actually that's good to know. i wonder if that's always been the case? perhaps we had inaccurate information when my husband went as the SAHP (admittedly quite a few years ago now) or maybe it's changed since then...

either way - good info to flag for the OP.

Things have actually changed for the worse. It used to be until the youngest child reached the age of 16 and that has been reduced to 12. Probably will be reduced further in the coming years.

It is only for the parent who receives the Child Benefit so if the CB is named for the mother and the father is the SAHP then they won't get it. You'd have to change the name on the CB to get it.

pillion

I worked, through choice rather than necessity, after having both my children and until they were in their mid teens. I wanted to work and it's certainly true that me working meant the children could have a better standard of living. However, I now really wish I hadn't and that I'd stayed at home with them. Time goes by so quickly and before you know it they are grown up. You can never get those years back. I had a demanding career and eventually burnt out. I decided to leave my well paid job and it's amazing how you adapt to living on less. Everyone has to decide for themselves what is best for them but I do think that women are sometimes brainwashed into thinking they should work when they would be happier living a simpler life and enjoying their children. I do appreciate that for some women there is no choice and they have to work.

silverliningmummy

pillion wrote: »

I worked, through choice rather than necessity, after having both my children and until they were in their mid teens. I wanted to work and it's certainly true that me working meant the children could have a better standard of living. However, I now really wish I hadn't and that I'd stayed at home with them. Time goes by so quickly and before you know it they are grown up. You can never get those years back. I had a demanding career and eventually burnt out. I decided to leave my well paid job and it's amazing how you adapt to living on less. Everyone has to decide for themselves what is best for them but I do think that women are sometimes brainwashed into thinking they should work when they would be happier living a simpler life and enjoying their children. I do appreciate that for some women there is no choice and they have to work.

Really appreciate this. Like I mentioned earlier, my mum always had to work a lot as she was a single mum. She's told me how upsetting it was at Christmas when I was in a nativity play and she couldn't afford to take any time off work. She was sat at her desk, looking at the clock and crying because she knew that it had started and she had missed it. Things like this break her heart and I don't want to ever look back and think I missed out.

Things have got quite bad with work over the last week so me and my husband have come to a mutual decision that I am going to leave but with a view to setting up a small home business either in beauty or jewellery making (or both) as I have a few skills in both of these areas. My mum's amazing with accounts and has offered to look after my books for me so Mr Taxman is also smiling!

Thanks for everyone's advice. It's really appreciated.

t0rt0ise

silverliningmummy wrote: »

Really appreciate this. Like I mentioned earlier, my mum always had to work a lot as she was a single mum. She's told me how upsetting it was at Christmas when I was in a nativity play and she couldn't afford to take any time off work. She was sat at her desk, looking at the clock and crying because she knew that it had started and she had missed it. Things like this break her heart and I don't want to ever look back and think I missed out.

Aw that is so moving and makes me so glad that I was at home when my children were young. It reminds me why I gave up my nursing career and makes it worthwhile.

magenta22

You're soon due to go on maternity leave, my advice is to just enjoy the rest of the pregnacy and new baby and don't worry about your job for the time-being. See how things are when you are due to return after maternity and take it from there.

It's difficult when you have children and they don't make child care easy/cheap. You say your husband doesn't want you to go back to work, can he support you all okay if you don't?