Would you take this job with a 3 year old?! I’m torn!

Not here to throw shade - but are you at stay at home Mum if your child is being cared for by other people during working hours. For 7 hours a day - assume 5 days a week your child is being cared for outside the home. You are a Mum but you are not ‘staying at home’ for the purposes of being a Mum.

Is that not unemployed or ‘housewife’??

Anyway yes good idea to take the job. Might as well be productive in those 35 hours rather than using that time to make 5 meals and a bit of tidying. Very inefficient use of you time & talents.

I’d definitely take it. You will soon find you can fit in cleaning and cooking around your working hours. Blitz with your DP in a couple of hours and keep it tidy and clean as you to along. The ability to WFH means you can put on a wash at lunchtimes or prepare dinner then. Batch cooking or adapting what you eat to quick meals helps too.

I’d go for it. You can always leave it it really doesn’t work out but I’d give it six months to see. Good luck.

Recipe boxes like gusto or hello fresh save so much time shopping , preping and money. They have a great choice and some are ready in 10 or 20 mins. I have meals for 3 even though there's only 2 of us so have extra for lunches. I only shop for non food items every couple of months and weekly for fruit, bread , milk etc

Do it.

If doesn’t work out you can quit. If you don’t take it, you will never know.

It’s good as a woman to be financially independent. The longer you stay out of the job market, the harder that is.

Child isn't there, she's in nursery
It's very strange. What on earth is the OP doing all day if she cannot tidy and prep evening meal in all that time?

Take it
Give yourself 3 months, if after 3 months it's too much then resign
I think you'll regret trying :)

I am worried I won’t have the time to do proper meals or keep on top of running the house. Part of me is desperate to take it and the other part of me thinks it’s a mistake. I only have until Friday to decide.

I think we tend to make the chores fill the time we have.
If you have 7 hours at home now that's a huge amount of time to do some cleaning and make a meal.

You will just have to be a bit more organised and do batch cooking at weekends.
If you're earning £70K you can employ a cleaner for a couple of hours a week if you need to.

The question is more about if the job is what you want and you can do it.

Amongst a lot of my office-based friends, that job sounds like the Holy Grail. I would definitely go for it. You can resign if you really find it too much after 3-6 months, but I bet you won't.

I suspect part of your worry is because you've been out of the workplace for a while. Whilst I didn't have a career break, I did take a full year for maternity leave. I found that:

1. the pace of my life was slower when I was off work. I could take longer over things, so I often did.
2. even after only 12 months off, I was quite apprehensive about whether I would still cut it at work. Would I remember how to do certain procedures? Would I be out of date? What new treatments would there be?

It was completely fine. Actually it was quite nice having adult conversation and thinking about serious things. It was LOVELY being able to go to the loo alone.

In terms of managing the household, as many others have already said, the chores do not belong to you alone. Your partner steps up. You won't find that you need all day to keep the house and prep dinners - all that happened whilst you were working before you had your child. I'd also like to give the following advice:

Good enough is good enough.

Your house may not be kept to the same standard as you are all so busy - that won't kill anyone.
You may have a couple of meals here and there that aren't as prepared from scratch - that's fine

Go for it! I bet you are far more capable than you are giving yourself credit for. AND (can't stress enough) the house is also your partner's. They have a duty to contribute too.

Good luck!

A remote job on £70k after 3 years out ? I’d snatch their hand off.

WFH with two days in the office a month is an amazing opportunity. If yiu wanted to go back to work when your daughter is 4 at school would such an opportunity be available then? At 3 you could easily extend nursery hours and get a cleaner. Do some meal prep in your lunch hour, grocery deliveries etc.

go for it - it’s good for your mental health to be back in the adult world and you’ll have so much extra spends for amazing holidays etc

Think you’ve missed the point of this post. If you are a SAHM you do have much more time to spend with your children than if you work full time, that’s just a fact. PP said she’s had a lovely summer with her children, there’s no way a parent who works full time is able to spend as much time during school holidays with their children as someone working FT. If you are able to work full time and be able to be off with your children all the school holidays plus be available for all the school events you are the exception not the rule. Most people can’t take holiday for 13 weeks/year.

If you are paid 70k, you can surely pay a cleaner and not to worry about if you have time for that?

Take it. The longer you are out of the workforce, the harder it is to find a job in a career that pays well. I’ve been there.

You would be crazy not to take this job. Great salary, very flexible work schedule. Get on it!!

I went back to work 4 days a week in the office with a 6 month old and a 2 year old. It would exhausting but we managed.

It will be doddle 2 days a month in the office the rest from home.

You need to be organised. Have you got ADHD?

Fascinating. As a lone parent and a high earner I’ve managed to do all these things and go to work. Working mums don’t suddenly lose the ability to attend school events, run kids to summer camps etc. honestly breath taking naivety.

OP take the job.

Of course. Any woman relying on a man to support her and a child is a fool.

If you find it hard buy in help, like a cleaner.

You'll manage between you and dh. I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. We're out of the house from 6.40am to 6.15pm x5 days a week and we manage. Go for it, you won't regret it. Make sure dh splits the chores with you. If I cook, he cleans and vice versa. Good luck in your new job 🎉

I'm guessing this is just nerves having been out of work for a while. If so, go for it! You will not find a better opportunity that pays well and fits around family life. As for the stuff you do during the day (not sure what takes 6 hours), you'll fit it in.

If you're saying all this because you don't really want to work then admit that to yourself and accept your choices. Again, you will not find a better opportunity thag fits around family life.

Definitely yes! This sounds like too good an opportunity to miss. It's also good to have financial independence.

You will be fine just sort your time management. Bulk cook and clean at weekend

Why not accept the job and give it a go for a few months? If you feel it's too much, you can go back to the way you are now

It’s all about organisation and delegation. I would be lost without a cleaner for example. Meal planning at the weekend elevates a lot of stress. An online shop might help.

This post can only be a wind up. Even getting past the fact of the job landing in your lap I can’t fathom how there can be so much mess and prep with one child who is in nursery. This can’t be real, surely?! I don’t see how you could take it with the existing lack of time management.

With that money, get a cleaner in (more than once a week, if necessary) and some back up quality ready meals. Take the pressure off and facilitate the transition