Parents: How Do You Make Working Work?

Person_one

cakeforbrains wrote: »

I have a first class degree in sociology, for what that's worth! I don't really have a line of work as I've been pretty much having children for a decade (oldest is 11)... and doing the degree (graduated in 2008). I've thought about maybe doing a masters, and I have quite a lot of voluntary experience, but I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up!

I would say that now is the time to decide and take steps to make it happen!

ognum

cakeforbrains wrote: »

I have a first class degree in sociology, for what that's worth! I don't really have a line of work as I've been pretty much having children for a decade (oldest is 11)... and doing the degree (graduated in 2008). I've thought about maybe doing a masters, and I have quite a lot of voluntary experience, but I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up!

Hopefully pension won't be much of an issue because my OH's is really very decent.

We're quite lucky in that, when my husband is home, he does work a 38 hour week. He's not one of these who works into the night, and he has flexitime so he's around quite a lot. He also gets six weeks holiday. The one weekend a month can be flexible too, just going into the office for a few hours.

I don't know, i was just interested in how others balance it out and what they do about childcare.

Never, never underestimate the need to be finacially able to support yourself and build up your own pension contributions.

Bangton

I earn enough to make it work but I know lots of other people aren't in my position. I don't earn tons but with childcare factored in I'm still 800 a month better off working.... although that's based on a full time four day week of condensed hours. I wanted oh to do same to lessen the days in childcare but that's not possible at his work. That said if your husband has flexible shifts could he do 4 days instead to allow you more freedom to work and build up experience? It would be such a shame to not be able to use what is a cracking degree just because your also a mother. KuDos to you for wanting to contribute

Spendless

Can you tell us when your toddler will be 3 and where you live in U.K? It might make any suggestions easier if we can work out when tot will qualify for nursery funding or start f-time school etc.:)

cakeforbrains

shop-to-drop wrote: »

I was in your situation and my solution was 2 nightshifts in tesco. Makes approx £600 month difference to the family maybe more with discount etc.

However as your degree is more recent that mine was it seems a shame not to build on that. How about weekend or relief work with adults with special needs or others who are living independently and need support. I looked at this at one point and got offered a job but unfortunately i couldn't manage it at the time which i'm sad about.

Yeah, as I say, night shifts, evening shifts and weekend shifts would be impossible on the weeks that my husband works away. Sometimes he can be away for three weeks at a time and I don't have any childcare options other than paying for it.

I don't think I would be very good at working with adults with special needs. I'm sure I'll think of something I want to do eventually.

Ognum: You're right, and I should be more mindful of that really, given that this is my second marriage.

cakeforbrains

Spendless wrote: »

Can you tell us when your toddler will be 3 and where you live in U.K? It might make any suggestions easier if we can work out when tot will qualify for nursery funding or start f-time school etc.:)

Oh, he's three next July and will qualify for his 15 hours in the September, I believe.

If I'm not working at that point, though, I may not put him in. At least not for the whole time. It seems to me that part time jobs within school hours are a bit like gold dust.

Gigglepig

I am not a parent ( yet ) but think you need a long term view of the working.

Not just what wage you can get there and then, but other things too, like pension/benefits/whether it will be a step on a ladder to a better paid job later.

Dunroamin

cakeforbrains wrote: »

I have a first class degree in sociology, for what that's worth! I don't really have a line of work as I've been pretty much having children for a decade (oldest is 11)... and doing the degree (graduated in 2008). I've thought about maybe doing a masters, and I have quite a lot of voluntary experience, but I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up!

Hopefully pension won't be much of an issue because my OH's is really very decent.

We're quite lucky in that, when my husband is home, he does work a 38 hour week. He's not one of these who works into the night, and he has flexitime so he's around quite a lot. He also gets six weeks holiday. The one weekend a month can be flexible too, just going into the office for a few hours.

I don't know, i was just interested in how others balance it out and what they do about childcare.

Never rely on your husband's pension - you need to make your own provision.

(Oops - already covered!)

grey_lady

Have you considered teaching? I don't think that doing a Masters will get you a job but a teaching qualification would.

ska_lover

cakeforbrains wrote: »

Well, maybe, but to earn it I'd have to go out to work probably three days per week, put my two year old into childcare, have less time to do household stuff and be with the children, and just generally be running around like a blue-bottomed fly for half the time. My husband (luckily) could earn it by working one weekend a month.

I could get an evening job, thereby negating the need for childcare potentially, but then I wouldn't know what to do when my husband works away, which is about one third of the time. I've got no family to help.

I am assuming at the moment that your OH is not working weekends, you could work one weekend a month and let your OH child mind. I understand what you are saying, it is frustrating to be in a situation where you are willing, but have no childcare - It is a very difficult situation.

It does seem somewhat unfair to expect someone who is already working full time to start working weekends as well

There are other ways you can boost your income or maybe even look to cut down on spends in an effort to save some money, what about ebay selling, avon, online blogging, crafting/making things to sell? I would definitely look at doing maybe a serious look at things like utility bills and grocery spends to see where you can save