to think childcare costs for 3 primary school aged children are too expensive to make working worthwhile?

[pingu2209]

Now that my last child has started school I decided to look to get back into paid employment. To pay for 3 children to go to breakfast club and then after school club, during term time, the fees will amount to £1350 a month. During school holidays the fees will amount to £1690 a month. On the basis my husband and I will try to take our holiday over a chunk of any school holiday, any salary I earn needs to cover the £1350 childcare costs PLUS any costs for parking and fuel for commuting.

On that basis I need to earn £25k/yr to break even.

I have applied and applied for jobs and can not get anything near the amount I need to warrent me working.

Due to my husband's salary we won't get any support for childcare costs.

I am so pissed off. I really want to work. I am worried that I will have bugger all pension and to be frank, we could really do with more money because everything is going up in price.

As I have a degree, a masters, a professional dimloma and 13 years work experience in marketing that is my preferred option. However, as I haven't done any paid work for 5 1/2 years nobody is interested.

Am I unreasonable to think that it is actually not financially viable for a mother to work if she has 3+ children?

[PumpkinBones]

YABU. It just isn't financially viable for you to work. Which doesn't make it any less of a shit situation.

[Conundrumish]

I think you might be right . I have a degree, professional qualification, 13 years work experience also and am struggling to find work. I am either competing with those who have been working for the last decade or am regarded as over qualified. Could you start up alone? I'm sure small companies would consider freelance marketing input.

[worraliberty]

Well you both have 3 children...not just you so is there any areas your DH can cut back on?

It does sound like a lot of money though.

[Hardgoing]

It can be very expensive.

A few thoughts:

What about getting a home help/au pair who only needs to do a few hours a day anyway?

What about working from home yourself if they are out all day? (I know doesn't really solve the needing to get out in the workplace, but might be more financially viable)

Can you get childcare tax vouchers? I think this scheme has been changed recently so not sure if this still applies? (used to be deducted at pay source)

Can you work part-time so they don't need breakfast club/or after-school childcare? (i.e. halving the cost)

I don't have all the answers, but I wonder if you could earn some money whilst still doing the bulk of the childcare/school run. It is frustrating though.

[Cathycomehome]

Child care costs are so high - unless you can get something part time or evenings I guess, and that wouldn't be marketing I suppose. Do you think you could work from home at all?

[Cathycomehome]

X posts a bit!

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Where do you live? Those costs sound very high for just before/after school club even with 3 children.

You could work nights/weekends and not use childcare.

[squeakyfreakytoy]

you could hire an aupair, and pay her above the going rate and still have money left over from what you are currently paying..

[Popbiscuit]

YANBU, Pingu. I have three as well and want to work but can't afford to . It's not all bad though; there are perks to staying at home.

[slalomsuki]

Have a look at becoming a visiting lecturer at a local college or university. That way you will put some of your practical experience to good use and be able to pick and choose your hours. You get holidays and the summer off.

I say this as a mother of 3 with 20 years experience who now runs a marketing dept of a university. We always are looking for practical based staff to bring reality to our students.

[effingwotnots]

I'm in the sane boat with 3 school age kids and a 16 month old. Dh works shifts too. It's a logistical nightmare, but I've been trying to set up my own small business. Hard with no capital but it gives me something to focus on. Doesn't exactly pay the rent (or even buy the kids clothes) but maybe one day it will ....< dreams on pretending to be oblivious to the 7k overdraft>

[lynniep]

youre not wrong.
I'm not in that position (yet) and whilst I'm not against the idea of a third, until that child started school I would have to stop working. IMO this is a terrible idea -for both my sanity, and also my work prospects. My career (salary) took a massive nosedive when I had kids.
At the moment I work part time (3.5 days) and due to a) choosing to work part time and b) having children I need to get back to on time after work, I have very limited options.
Most of what I earn goes on childcare. I probably have about £250 left a month after travel costs. IMO this is worth it as this pays a chunk of our bills. I stupidly thought it would be better once DS1 started school, but I was deluded. If we have another one, even if we wait till DS2 gets funding, it really wouldnt be worth my working at all.

[notlettingthefearshow]

Wow, I'm really shocked at the costs for such a small amount of childcare. How much are these breakfast and after school clubs per day? I'm worried as we want 2 children (pg with first) and assumed financially it would work well if I worked full time once both at school. How naive!

[FabbyChic]

Work part time then in school hours so you don't need childcare so what you earn is your own.

That's the way forward for now.

[mercibucket]

It doesn't have to be all or nothing - work part time, juggle start/finish times with your dh, get lower paid but mmore flexible job in different field, split pick ups n drop offs with another working family, look for cheaper childcare
Is hard tho so sympathies

[pingu2209]

The child care costs in my area are deemed cheap (South East).

They are £5/day/child for breakfast club and £15/day/child for after school club. The holiday club is £25/day/child.

It is a nightmare.

I have been so depressed being at home that I have gained 8 stone in 5 1/2 years. Over the past 6 months I have lost 5 of those stone so feel so much better in myself and confident.

I really thought, great my little one is off to school and now I can get back to using my brain and all those years of studying. I actually feel extremely angry about it all.

[FabbyChic]

If you live in the South East surely you can work in London where the pay should be above 30k.

[Sillyoldelf]

I think Fabbychic is right , that is what I am doing. It's the only way for now.

[gordyslovesheep]

MY GOD thats expensive - I have 3 - including 1 in nursery and pay £720 a month ... plus £150 a week for holiday care

[Dozer]

Your method of calculation is flawed.

Don't just compare your immediate net pay with childcare costs. Also consider total household income and costs (when considering how to cover childcare, transport etc) and your pay and pension etc in the medium and long term. You may have less income when you first go back to work than before, but once you're back in you should be able to work your way up again and are likely to be far, far better off financially in the long run.

If you stay off work your household and personal finances will not improve.

[Dozer]

Pingu, yes it is crap, but you could apply that angry energy into getting a job and doing it well, or making room for an au pair or sorting other childcare or whatever, do something with it!

[marriedinwhite]

I got a little office job in a local College which was 21 hours a week and term time only. Initialy I earnt peanuts but because I worked during the school day I didn't have any childcare. It meant starting at the bottom again but after a few years I got promoted and went full time. That meant getting an au-pair, which if you have a spare room, is the cheapest form of childcare for school aged children.

[natation]

I have 4 children and I have had to work part time for the past 15 years. It's buggered up my chances of ever having a real career, but it's also meant I have hardly even needed to use child care - I always worked around husband's shifts and we both work in an industry where shifts are timetabled over the full 24 hours, so night shifts have been part of the job. It has also meant the children have nearly always had a parent at home, although it has often meant we have been like a permanent single parent family!

If you really want to work full time, I think an au-pair is the best option, both on cost grounds and also for the children, as an au pair means the children can do after school activities instead of being in child care, or can stay at home to eat breakfast.

[pingu2209]

Childcare is from 8am and ends at 6pm. The train journey to London is 55 mins so I can't work in London as a 9-5 job would not allow me to drop off and pick up.

Dozer, I have thought that. However, it is very hard to 'work your way up' when you have 3 children. My experience of being a working mother (which I was with just 2 children) is that because you can't work longer hours due to having to get back for 6pm etc. Because you tend to have to phone in at short notice because one of your children is ill etc. You tend not to be promoted etc.

Also, my eldest (8 years old) has special needs to I can't just leave him to get on with it once he goes to secondary school. I will need someone to care for him.

AHHHHHHHHH! I am so angry. If I watch/hear a programme with some stupid politician saying how mothers should be working to ensure they have a pension etc, I will scream. WE CANT WORK IF CHILDCARE IS SO FUCKING EXPENSIVE!!!!!