Working Full Time - Mums??

Bangton

maman wrote: »

What your SIL and most posters seem to have missed is that you might actually want to work full time both to pull your weight financially in the family and (more importantly IMO) to use your skills as an office manager. Everyone seems to be simply focussing on extra money.


These days the majority of women are educated at least to the same standard as men and it seems crazy to me that they wouldn't want to make their way in the world and would happily stay at home provided they found a man who earned enough to keep them. I can't understand that mentality at all.


As for paying for help: I found I could get into a routine that meant I didn't need a cleaner as we weren't there to mess it up so a weekly clean was enough with DH helping. Maybe you'll become less OCD abut the housework when you've other things to focus on. But I wouldn't hesitate in paying someone to clean or iron or garden if it freed up my time to do something I preferred.


I do hope you get the job.:)

Fab post! !

Threebabes

Good luck.

You manage. Over the years I have worked part and full time and not at all. I temped for 6 month last year fulltime, and now working 18.75 hours a week in a permanent role. I do prefer part-time but whatever you do, you always manage. The more hours you work the more organised you are.

Whilst working fulltime, we finished early on a Friday. Mad dash home, cleaned house, ironed saturday morning. I struggled with the meals, I shouldve been more organised and used my slow cooker more. No on starved though!

Good luck again, let us know how you get on.

Spendless

After losing my p-time job a couple of years ago when the office closed down, I found an ad-hoc one covering for people's absences and holidays. That means I can have f-time work, no work or a few days on any given week. I've recently finished a 16 weeek run of f-time, as 2 people left one after the other and considered whether to apply for the f-time permanent positions available. In my case I also have a husband who is away for 40% of the workign week, plus a grandmother with dementia I help out with and found I was spreading myself too thin so I've left my work arrangements as previously.

When I am in part of the week, that gives me the best work/life balance, but the money is far better for being in 5 days. I asked for some advice on housework re working all day when I first started the job, and the common theme which kept coming up was to keep on top of what I call the 'washing and the washing up'. These are the 2 largest areas of time consuming chores for me.

If I'd continued being f-time for much longer, I was considering getting a cleaner but probably just as a one-off, so it was easier to keep on top of. I dislike the idea of working for extra money to just pay out for services you no longer have the time to do, but I also dislike spending weekends tidying up.

clw1

If you want to work full time and your husband is supportive then go for it ! Like you say the money will be a big help to your family and if you saved a % of it then it could be used for paying off the mortgage or saving towards helping your kids in the future.

If you get the job then maybe have a family meeting to decide how all the chores will be divided up, if you are working full time then the others will need to do a little more to help and maybe this is a chance to get the kids involved too . What works for us is that we divide chores entirely so I do food shop / cooking and hubby does washing / bills. We tried each doing a bit of it all but then there were arguements about who did more !

I also have a cleaner and agree with the others that it is a big help. Mine comes on a friday so the house is clean ready for weekend.

Finally you mention packed lunches - could your children have school dinners to save time ?

Good luck with the interview

ska_lover

I think it sounds a great opportunity OP, and If it were me, I would jump at it.

My cleaning gets 'fly ladied' swishing and swiping every day, a load of washing in once per day and a deep clean from time to time when I can get my bum in gear. Larger jobs, lawns mowed, do at weekend

In my house Meals go from one extreme to the other, either totally planned in the slow cooker, or egg on toast because we are all too tired - either way no one starves.

Don't be hard on yourself either way

PS - You sound head and shoulders above your SIL - how selfish is she!

jetplane

I went from part time to full time when my youngest was nine and I found a huge difference. Partly because working more than 6 hours a day I had to take a lunch break and the childminder run took more time. I did not realise how those extra hours could have such an impact.

I have obsessive traits and used to have a routine for housework and told my husband he would need to help out more. In practice neither of us appreciated just how much more he would need to help out.

The extra money was lovely but I struggled for some time with the work life balance. It took a whole new routine and I also had to lower 'my standards' so to speak. Not to say I became a slob but it is just not possible to do as much in your home when you are out of the house for so much longer, something has to give.

Given a choice without the need to earn extra income I personally would choose part time, every time as I had the best of both worlds and so did my husband. My work life balance was erm balanced

However sometimes a good opportunity has to be grasped and for me it was all part of the long plan, it was a step I needed to take to move onward in the future. So long as you both keep in mind that starting a new job and working more hours will bring its own demands.

As for your sister in law I would hate to have a husband who worked every day, how can she preach about work life balance? Maybe she thinks your mad because she couldn't work full time because she has to do everything else due to her husbands long hours. Maybe there is some envy there, in that you and your husband can both work full time, enjoy an increased income and have time together.

Never waste an opportunity because of someone elses' hang ups. if it feels right go for it and good luck.

moomoomama27

I recently took on full time hours, I have three children 16, 11 and 9.

Like you I am set in my routine, but with he help of my husband and children nothing has suffered!

I work in a school so my hours fit around the children. Im doing my degree part time and train for many charity runs. I still get time to spend quality time with the children. It's being super organised that is the key!

Janepig

Me personally, I like being part time. I drop my two off in breakfast club at 7.45am, I'm usually in work by 8.15am and then I'm out of there by 2-2.30pm, straight to the school to pick the kids up again. It works for me, I'd hate to be full time again. Although my salary is pretty good despite it being 30 hours a week. I certainly couldn't envisage wanting to be full time for a good long while, particularly in the role I've got now which is enjoyable when we're busy, we're just not often busy.

But OP, only you can decide what best suits you and if there's a routine you can get into which works. I wouldn't be swayed by someone else's opinion of whether or not you "should" work full time.

Jx

mel48rose

Agree that being mega organized is the key to success. Plan ahead including a contingency plan as sometimes things go belly up!! Good luck you can do it xx

penguin83

I have always worked full time (apart from maternity leave) so know no different but organisation is the key. I have three children (11, 9 and 1) and the biggest help to me is one of the 'organised mum' diaries so I can keep track of which child is where and when, where I am and god knows what else!


Sort as much as you can the night before, meal plan and make sure everyone does their bit around the house from the littlest to the biggest (OH!)


Good luck x