I feel trapped and have very few options

Loanranger

I was a latch key kid at 11. Maybe your eldest is able to look after him/herself and the younger child for a couple of days a week to enable you to get a full time job.
On the days your ex has the children you need to work at two jobs.
I have had MH problems, on anti depressants etc, and what helped me most was making headway with my life and giving up the victim mentality. My victim mentality was really stopping me making any progress whatsoever.

AngelPie78

heartbreak_star wrote: »

You might have to work when you have the kids

HBS x

Hahaha yep I try!! Constant 'muuuuuuuuuuuum!!' Demands and being interrupted during business calls, video calls and never getting anything done. But I do try!

I hit breakdown in July and had to make my working hours more effective so I work much better now and have worked it around Wed - Fri evenings when I have the munchkins got lots of good systems in place and every minute is accounted for when working

stoozie1

With the dog then, whilst you take him out for a walk could you offer to also take the neighbour's dogs out too?

If their animals are alone in the day and they are out all day could you have fido over for an hour? Maybe when the kids have finished school?

Loss leader at first, but could lead to all sorts of things, offer an after school coding club/esafety/social media club. School probably have a bit of budget to pay you, and aspiring but techie clueless parents might ask you to do a bit of 121?

heartbreak_star

There's a good point - is it just web dev you do, or could you build PCs and stuff for people?

HBS x

AngelPie78

Loanranger wrote: »

I was a latch key kid at 11. Maybe your eldest is able to look after him/herself and the younger child for a couple of days a week to enable you to get a full time job.
On the days your ex has the children you need to work at two jobs.
I have had MH problems, on anti depressants etc, and what helped me most was making headway with my life and giving up the victim mentality. My victim mentality was really stopping me making any progress whatsoever.

Hahahaha yeah right?! I left them alone for an hour the other day and it was like all Hell had broken loose - had constant calls and FaceTime videos. Both of them in tears and drama everywhere. Also, the school won't let my eldest pick up the youngest until he's 15 so no chance of that anyway. Eldest could actually go to Dad's though - just thought of that! So that would help one bit...

What full time job would you suggest? Sorry, just been through every option and not sure what job to get etc.

Yep, gotta love that victim mentality. I was having kinesiology and clinical hypnotherapy to help but can't afford them now. To be fair, I've been homeless and Sectioned, gone through a horrendous divorce and loads of other things during the last five years and I'm still here plus I managed to get a First in my (useless) degree - yay me!! I could just sit on my !!!! on benefits but I don't. I work ALL the time and try my best. Also, I've tried working part time and got signed off and nearly hospitalised (again). My body is not strong enough to do some stuff. I understand my limitations and have to work within them or I'll end back in the pit of despair again

AngelPie78

stoozie1 wrote: »

With the dog then, whilst you take him out for a walk could you offer to also take the neighbour's dogs out too?

If their animals are alone in the day and they are out all day could you have fido over for an hour? Maybe when the kids have finished school?

Loss leader at first, but could lead to all sorts of things, offer an after school coding club/esafety/social media club. School probably have a bit of budget to pay you, and aspiring but techie clueless parents might ask you to do a bit of 121?

We have a surplus of dog walkers etc round here so I'm not sure that would be highly successful and I don't wanna start up another business BUT it's a good idea and I'll add it to the list.

I'm in talks with the school about the code club etc also looking into a kids code club/e-safety/social media club outside of school. Unfortunately, these things take time to set up but potentially it's money making!

AngelPie78

heartbreak_star wrote: »

There's a good point - is it just web dev you do, or could you build PCs and stuff for people?

HBS x

Erm I probably could - did a module on building PCs in my first year. Is there a market for that though? I would have thought that most people could build their own?

Will add it to the list though!

EDIT: My business partner and I have a HUGE list of services we're going to offer from mid-September so that should help our cash flow and things might take off then. Just having a down day and someone suggested posting on here to see if there was anything I'd not thought of. The whole business could flop or boom - who knows!?

heartbreak_star

I'm also gonna bite the bullet here and say...please don't give any more of your money to "alternative medicine". Kinesiology in particular is total quackery. Please let the real docs help you more.

HBS x

heartbreak_star

My partner works in IT and he gets LOADS of requests for advice on building gaming rigs etc (he built mine as a birthday present)! Even if you could charge a small amount for this or negotiate some sort of trade for it, every little helps

HBS x

AngelPie78

heartbreak_star wrote: »

My partner works in IT and he gets LOADS of requests for advice on building gaming rigs etc (he built mine as a birthday present)! Even if you could charge a small amount for this or negotiate some sort of trade for it, every little helps

HBS x

Ah I'm a massive fan of complimentary therapy. Doctors are absolutely useless IMO. I'd come of my anti-Ds asap if I could afford complimentary therapy. I get NO help from the Drs apart from them throwing meds at me - I can't get any help for my ankle, bad back or depression in terms of counselling or support workers. It's a joke. I have to pay for private, complimentary help so I have someone to talk to about my crazy thoughts lol.

Ah ok...hmmmm yeah that's an option then. Although I'm an Apple fan girl so not sure how I feel about building Windows machines :rotfl::rotfl: