Help-summer work-is it even possible?

[Pawslikepaddington]

Am a full time student. Have got myself into stupid financial difficulties-have a lot more outgoings this year, and have taken a while to adjust to them, so have ended up with a £2,000 credit card bill and a £1,400 (interest free) overdraft.

I finish my exams by the 7th June, and dd is still at school until mid-July (I think!). I wanted to spend some time with her over summer (but not go away obviously), but the LEA will still pay 85% of my childcare over summer. Am I better sending her to playschemes and working full time, maybe having a week off? All her friends' parents are SAHM or uni-based, so none are attending playschemes, and I feel dreadful.

I am a pretty awful parent re. staying at home-I am not very inventive and we spend most of the time playing in the garden, which is great fun, but would she get more out of a playscheme?

Is it possible that I will even get work over summer in this climate? I am in the lucky position that I have put enough money aside to pay my rent until September, so we will not be homeless, but will be very very very broke (£40 a week Tax credits being our only income), and I have a lot of debt to clear.

I don't want dd to feel like I don't want her around-already she has had comments at school such as "you can't play at my house as your mummy doesn't love you enough to pick you up from school" etc, and am worried she will feel it more acutely if they are all planning summer meet ups.

[FluffyBunnyGoneBad]

I worked in a pub for a few days a week during the summer so I still managed to spend time with ds and work. They are really grateful for staff as they sometimes employ students during term time that go home in the holidays. You could try cafe's aswell.

[Pawslikepaddington]

Cafe's could be a great idea as it is a tourist trap-pubs I'm not so sure as I am an sp, so can't leave dd with anyone. However, if they let me work until 5.30pm it would be great.

[FluffyBunnyGoneBad]

Most cafe's close at 5pm. Pubs need people for the lunck time rush. There's nothing to loose.

[Pawslikepaddington]

Woohoo, fluffy, I feel joyous again-I had visions of me being stuck in a slave-driving call centre 8-6, coming home in a devil of a mood every night, and poor dd getting it in the neck-I feel like there is light at last!

[FluffyBunnyGoneBad]

I've spent too many years as a student! Don't do agencies, they are useless. I spent a summer working part time in Superdrug, some pubs, agency work, probably some more but I can't remember. There are summer jobs out there if you look for them. If not, try the job centre, apply for a part time job and forget that you are a student.