To ask you to help me pick which job to take?

So 28 days annual leave for 5 days a week or 22 days annual leave for 4 days a week. Is that worded as including bank holidays or plus bank holidays?

Is the 4 days including weekends and set days? Or 4 random days each week?

Sorry, I just find that annual leave is one area where people screw themselves over, especially when they have small children!

The most important things to consider are

Take home pay after work deductions.and expenses

Annual leave

Commute and time out of the house in best and worst case scenarios

School holidays and how to cover, before and after school care

Housework split and expectations of each other

Career progression and the fact it is weekday work.

It’s ok not to martyr yourself for your children, it’s not selfish to have ambitions for yourself. Whether you need the money or not is neither here nor there. It sounds like job 1 would leave you with plenty quality time with them. For holidays there’s annual leave and holiday clubs. Is spending more than one week with their dad in the summer or visits to family an option too?

A degree is not just for a job thought and you still have a lot of options open to you after the degree. My first degree was in art and philosophy. I actually use it quite a bit. It changed my life in so many ways and there were a lot of graduate schemes I could apply for after completing it. It also opened a door to vocational masters. The master were for a job and I didn't enjoy it half as much as I did a degree which was "just for me".
You still get your fees paid for you and you don't need a maintenance loan anyway as you don't need the money now. It's something I would seriously consider in your position.

@belindawolves do you HAVE to work right now?

If not I’d take some time to think about what you want long term and aim for a role that will get you there.

I absolutely wouldn’t take job 3, you’ll still have time at home bored but equally your weekends will feel rubbish.

What kind of work do you want to do long term?

None of them.

If you don't need to work, hold out for a job that suits you, rather than pushing yourself into one that you won't enjoy or will feel guilty about.

i don't think it's fair on your DH for job 1 - if he works from home i think factoring in school runs everyday and being the on call person is a big ask and become tedious very soon

could u ask job 1 to consider a 3 or 4 day week?

otherwise 2 sounds ok for abit

wouldn't bother with 3

I think job 1 as well as it gives you career progression. As for the missing time with children - its quality time which is important and job 1 gives you weekends rather then just school run pick up etc. With organisation you can still be back for bath/bed and probably meals using a slow cooker so it's all sorted etc.

Depending on the type of 9-5 role there might also be scope for a bit of flexibility once past probation so 8-4 hours etc.

School holidays you make work, they go to their dad's for a week in the summer, that's five left to cover, take two weeks annual leave, that's 3 to cover holiday clubs are great, any family support? Most of us work full time and juggle leave) childcare. I bet job one comes with a much better pension than the other two too, I'd also hazard better sickness benefits. You shouldn't feel guilty for wanting a career because you have children, men don't! To have their mum at home every weekend and happy because she's stimulated and fulfilled by her work is a powerful message. I wonder if job one would consider condensed hours once you've been there a while so you have a day at home or even WFH one day a week

The three of them all sound like different job roles too one sounds office based at being 9 to 5 Monday to Friday

Job 2 and 3 sound retail and public facing, given the weekend work?

Going from nothing to full time is quite a leap and will be tiring. Is your DH on board with this? As in housework, children etc will have to be 50/50

Commute time is 40 mins, how reliable and frequent is the public transport part of that? And what's the cost of the public transport as that needs to come off your wage

Will after school clubs and before school clubs be needed? Are these available and do they have space?

Pension also needs to come out of the wage, so once you've deducted travel and pension, what are you left with? And does that make job 1 worthwhile?

Definitely the first. I can't see the dilemma.

For jobs 2 and 3 would you be able to make all your weekend working whilst the kids are with their dad?

Back in the real world, 9-5 and a 40 minute commute- which is actually only a couple of short walks and a short bus ride - would be considered pretty standard, or indeed good.

Arduous commute indeed .

Job 1 is a long time out of the house - say 8am to 6pm when you take into account delays, getting to & from your workplace etc. That's not leaving much quality time with your DCs if you only see them EOW.

They're only little once and yours are still young, you will never get this time back with them.

Is take job 2 but keep an eye out for something similar to job 1, closer to home and part time if possible.

Job 1 but as you husband isn't the kids father will he get resentful of potentially risking his career to do the drops and pick-ups at school? I guess if they are sick it is you who will need the time off for that, and holidays. I would probably go job three until they are older if that is a concern as hopefully their dad can cover weekends whilst you are working if needed,

Job one for sure. Any chance you could do 4 days a week or do compressed hours? That would give you a bit of leeway

Everyone gets a minimum of 4k! Plus uni fees paid. I've just done a humanities degree. Not a massive philosophy industry out there I agree BUT many mid management and above roles require a degree level education these days.