One income family of four - can we get ahead even after pay cuts?

peb

Much food for thought.  The only comments I would make aren't positive sadly:

There are already many proofreaders with not enough work.  I know this from friends who are in this position.

Training for teaching is arduous, I'm not saying it's impossible with two young children but the first two years are sixty hour weeks.  Part time afterwards is possible but it's getting through those first years. There are lots of teachers on here who will know more.  Another consideration whilst the children are young maybe TA but I don't know how many vacancies there are in your area, I've been hearing that cuts (!) mean TAs are the first to go.  

Child minding, you need to cope with the paperwork, risk assessments etc.  This may be your strength 😁. 

I also have a friend who is a virtual PA. She does have to have other income streams to make it work and does spend a lot of time networking etc. Lots of breakfast meetings etc.

I wish you well

MagicCat

Your Christmas presents all sound amazing, I love the thing that Red made, I'm sure there would be a market for them!

The work decisions are hard, you've thought of lots of options though. I'm not a teacher, but about 90% of my family are. What has always put me off is the huge workload and time working outside school hours (and I say this as someone working long day shifts in the NHS, but at least on my days off I'm off!), from what I can see in both primary and secondary it's 3-4 hours extra a night, plus weekend and holiday working, I think you have to really love it to keep going. My sister is part time now she has children so less of a workload but still very stressful. From what I've seen you do get school holidays which is good, but term time is tricky as you're In school much longer than the kids so need partner who can do drop offs or pickups or wrap around care.
I think someone mentioned doing supply, you'd need to do the NQT year as well as training for this really.
I'm sure there are lots of teachers on here who can give better experiences but just wanted to share what I know about it incase it's helpful - also don't mean to put you off as my family members love the teaching itself and working with the children, just a lot of the stuff that comes with it does make it hard.

The review work you said you'd done in the past sounds good, it may be only 100-200 a month but I don't clear much more than that doing a couple of shifts a week with childcare costs so sounds good for something you can do round childcare.

Bluegreen143

Thank you for your comments everyone. This is exactly why I posted! Always good to get some wisdom from others.

@joedenise ah that’s a shame re proofreading. Sounds like it may be very difficult to get enough work then especially breaking in with no specific experience.

@MagicCat thanks for that re teaching. I knew that about the training being full time and tbh if I did go for it it’d need to be in a couple of years after both kids are at school. I’m also aware of the long hours etc which does put me off. 

My friend who works in a nursery spent ages deliberating between nursery or primary school teaching. She has a degree so again just the one year at uni to do teaching (v two years at college for working in a nursery). But in the end she felt it would be more rewarding and much less stressful to work in a nursery and she loves her job - she’s also studying part time at uni around it so she can eventually progress to run a centre. She works term time only in a preschool and has recently returned from mat leave part time so it’s worked well for her. The problem is it’s decent pay at the council nurseries but quite a bit lower at private ones (and no term time contracts there either). 

And even if I worked part time as a teacher or in a nursery I’d need wraparound care for the days I worked most likely. Red has no flexibility in his job, no set finish time and sometimes works on call which makes it tricky - any pick ups and drop offs would be my domain. I only recently realised how expensive after school care is for children as a lot of my friends’ kids started primary school this year.

joedenise

It wasn't me to posted about the proofreading it was per @Bluegreen143! but have to say I agree.  I thought about it myself when my kids were little (40 odd years ago) and it was really difficult to get into then and there wasn't any online opportunities either!

It sounds like £150-£200 a month would be really worthwhile, I'd have been able to earn the equivalent amount back then as it would really have helped!  There is far more help for families these days than back in the 70s.

Spendless

My son does the online ad rating. Started it during lockdown1 in order to fetch some cash in. It suits him as he's a computer student, often online gaming and can spot the work coming in quickly. I can see it won't suit everyone though.

 You've answered the question I was going to ask and suggest part-time evening work, that's no good if there's no set finish time. My DH has worked away o/n since our DD was 9 months old with no pattern either and it's so frustrating when it restricts the other parent's job hunting. I had to have a set time job purely because DH didn't and it remained that way until youngest became a teenager.

The other day when you posted about being a breast feeding volunteer I did wonder if that would be your lead in to a paid job in that area. The £5K cost is there any funding available towards that? Also you've mentioend childcare costs in the future, is there help available with that? I was able to use the funding for a child turning 3 plus childcare vouchers in order to put DD in nursery whilst I went to college to re-train, but that's some years ago and I'm not familiar with what's available now.  

Bluegreen143

Feel so depressed this evening following Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement - Christmas more or less cancelled, schools shut til the 18th at least, level 4 lockdown for 3 weeks from Boxing Day. We were meant to be going to my mum’s to stay over on Boxing Day and I full on cried when I heard all the changes 🙁 hope everyone else is doing ok, hugs to all in these stressful times.

Blackcats

Blue green, I love reading your diary and I'm sorry that you feel upset.  I only know you from your posts but I'm sure that you will adapt and create a lovely Christmas for your family with special moments to cherish.   It won't be what you planned but the children will be happy with their mummy and daddy - cosy in their new pyjamas.  You will be together and you are giving them the gift of staying safe.
I'm in tier 4 now and I didn't feel very measured about it when I heard yesterday but I'm going to try and do my best with the situation and I know you will be amazing for your family.

joedenise

@Blackcats is so right @Bluegreen143.  You will make the best of the situation and just spend time with your family.  You and Red will enjoy the time together with your children.

I'm in Tier 4 in England and so not allowed to mix with anyone, however my DH and I had already decided that at nearly 70 we were probably safer just being on our own.  I'm usually the one that does Christmas although have been treated by both DD1 and DD2 the last couple of years and not had to cook!  DD1 last year; DD2 the year before so I originally would have been hosting this year but it's not to be.

We're just hoping that by next Summer we can do what the shopping channel on TV do and have Christmas in July but we'll probably have a picnic on the beach near where we live!  If we still all can't can't together then hopefully we can have a normal Christmas next year.

Bluegreen143

Thank you so much everyone. I’m feeling more positive today. Everyone (or most people) are in the same boat and I’m conscious tier 4 in England is stricter still as we do have the option of visiting on Christmas Day before going into lockdown on Boxing Day. We’ve discussed and we are going to do that just in the afternoon. It’s not the same as getting to stay over, have a couple of glasses of bubbly and get stuck into the board games with my parents but we are lucky to be able to see them at all. From Boxing Day we won’t be able to see them at all, even outdoors, for goodness knows how long because they live in another council area.

@Blackcats thanks so much for dropping in with that really lovely comment! I hope you also have a cosy and nice Christmas at home and I’m sorry that you’ve been put into tier 4 ☹️

Bluegreen143

Finished Bambi’s jammies!! A couple of mistakes and bits that aren’t so neat but I have learned SO much doing this project. Monkey’s are 90% there, just doing the waistband tomorrow (already pinned it and cut the elastic so will be a half hour max to get it sewed up). So pleased 😁