Would you work just for the 'satisfaction'?

wotnext

I work one day a week and tbh would be financially better off if I stopped, with CTC etc.

However, there are a number of reasons why I continue:

a: It's a day as 'me' instead of being just 'mum';
b: It shows my children a very valuable lesson in life that money is something earnt and not given to you on a plate;
c: It pays a small amount towards a pension.
d: I can hopefully increase my hours when it is more convenient for me to do so as it keeps my foot in the door.

I hope it works out for you OP.

VK-2008

if i had all the money in the world i would still work part time for my sanity probably good to get out and do something worthwhile even if it was voluntaty work helping someone in any way to make things better

Newly_retired

Although I am retired I do voluntary work "just for the satisfaction" now, so I can certainly understand how you feel.
When my children were small ( oldest was 4, youngest 2 ) I went back to work part-time. It took a lot of arranging, and even more to rearrange when one of them was ill, but well worth it. I had lost all sense of self being a SAHM for 4 years and working gave me an identity. Part time was ideal, it kept my hand in until the time eventually came when I could go full time.
The money was useful, though not a huge amount. Do get back on the pension ladder too if you can.
Just wondering if you are getting all the tax credits you could - WTC as well as CTC?

piglet6

I'm just backing up what many others have already said, but if this is a job you will enjoy and you will not be out of pocket at the end of the month, then I would say "go for it"! You say that jobs like this don't come up often, so it might lead to bigger things (if you are already in the field, I am presuming that you will have an advantage if a full-time job comes up later), and by this time your children will be older, and you will all be able to cope better if and when you go full time or take on more commitment.

It sounds like you would like to take the job, and don't overlook the fact that mums need adult stimulation as well as being with children all day...;) I also believe that it is not necessarily a bad thing for children to see their parents working to provide for the family, and it can also be a good thing for children to socialise with other children via a childcare facility...:p

Good luck with whatever you decide...:D

Piglet

Spendless

RoxieW wrote: »

The problem with just going for it for the practice is that that means asking someone to have the boys. There is noone unless I asked the childminder for a one off - not even sure if you can do this?? Hubby would be annoyed if he had to take time off and then I didnt take the job. He's busy at work at the moment. It's tricky as we don't have any family near by, which does make things more difficult in case of being late from work/ill child needs picking up from school etc.

I'm a bit lost here, do you mean when you go for the interview? Cos you'll need time for the interview even if they don't give you the job. Your childminder might take the kids here as an extra day,as a one-off, some of ours do, though it'll depend on her numbers as well as her willingness to do it. I'd ask. Alternatively you might get an interview time during school & nursery hours.

Our oftsted registered breakfast and asc you can use the childcare element of tax credits to pay for it. If you don't qualify for this, what about using childcare vouchers instead.

RoxieW

Yes sorry, i mean just doing the interview practice with no intention of taking the job, as some suggested.

Just mulling things over today. Think I'm going to fill out the app and then take it from there.

Thanks everyone

debs66_2

Hi Roxie

i've read quite a few more posts since my first one on your thread, and my initial opinion is that you do actually want to take this job. it sounds like you are suffering from 'the guilts' quite badly and really wanted people to help alleviate some of that guilt by giving you the go ahead.

despite my initial post, i would say do what your heart tells you, and go for the job. the fact that you are this torn tells us that you are a fab mum. if you can manage the running around for 6 months, then go for it. i also couldn't give up work. i enjoy it and it's extremely satisfying.

my one tip would be to stop feeling guilty. it's hard at first, but if you can look in the mirror every day and KNOW you are a good mum, with your kids interests at heart, then that's all that matters, and you don't need anyone else's approval.

your kids will benefit from seeing a strong, independent woman as their female role model.

i hope all goes well

RoxieW

Newly_retired wrote: »

Just wondering if you are getting all the tax credits you could - WTC as well as CTC?

As far as i can gather on the 'do I qualify" website we will get very little towards childcare - very little CTC full stop as hubby earns a decent wage. In fact, I've just been playing around with the figures on the tax credits website and it seems that we may actually be £190 a month worse off if I did take the job. Well actually more then that if i add on busfares - more like £250 a month:eek: Grrrrrr!
Thats completely annoying - but I'm still considering taking it. After all, what am I meant to do - just never work because of the childcare costs?? Resign myself to a life of washing, ironing and Jeremy Kyle lol?! Still i must be mad to get a job making us worse off each month, right?

whitewing

It's swings and roundabouts, Roxie. My part-time job gives me training (eg Data Protection Act), which is incredibly useful for my self-employment. It is also good for me to be in a customer service environment as again helps me focus on what is key for the customer in my own business.

The point is that you don't have to stay in the job if it isn't working out for your family. (I don't mean go into it lightly, just that things change as you go into a new role).

When I went back to work after my DS was 3 months old, you couldn't even get tax credit help for nursery fees. It wasn't worth working on paper but would have meant I'd never got made redundant. Then, having experienced the worst thing that I thought could happen to me as a single mum, it meant that setting up my own business was possible. I had the guts to do it then.

RoxieW

debs66 wrote: »

Hi Roxie

i've read quite a few more posts since my first one on your thread, and my initial opinion is that you do actually want to take this job. it sounds like you are suffering from 'the guilts' quite badly and really wanted people to help alleviate some of that guilt by giving you the go ahead.

despite my initial post, i would say do what your heart tells you, and go for the job. the fact that you are this torn tells us that you are a fab mum. if you can manage the running around for 6 months, then go for it. i also couldn't give up work. i enjoy it and it's extremely satisfying.

my one tip would be to stop feeling guilty. it's hard at first, but if you can look in the mirror every day and KNOW you are a good mum, with your kids interests at heart, then that's all that matters, and you don't need anyone else's approval.

your kids will benefit from seeing a strong, independent woman as their female role model.

i hope all goes well

Hi debs - thanks for the reply. I'm still feeling torn but I'll guess I'll be making my mind up quite soon as the closing dates the 10th June! I'll hold my hands up to the guilts - I have them in a major way. Earning decent money would alleviate some of it as I'd feel better for the fact I was improving our financial situation but thats not going to be the case Ummmmm.....