moving to london

[mama2487]

Hi I was just wondering if I could get as much info as possible about moving to London as a single mum- we are currently living abroad but I am seriously considering moving back to London after almost 8 years or so being away- my biggest concern is finding a job, not sure if it would be possible to find part time and earn enough money as i know London is very expensive-I know child care is also very costly- one good thing i have going is that i don't have to worry about rent as i would be staying in a relative's flat but would have to pay service charges on a quarterly basis and i know that will be expensive- can anyone just give me any advice in general about life there as a single parent-finding babysitters, activities for kids, schools etc- it would be much appreciated!! thank you!!

I last worked in London many years ago but I have a few relatives who currently live and work there. There are lots of job opportunities, so I wouldn't worry unduly about finding part-time work. London weighting still exists (at the larger companies) and adds a small but thankful extra to, for example, an accountant or lawyer's salary. I'm afraid that if you are seeking admin work... you may be disappointed in your salary expectations at smaller companies. The next biggest cost to housing is probably transport - you probably remember having to consider the merits of monthly or yearly travel cards but, if you drive, you also need to note the inner London congestion charges.

Can't really advise on childcare as my BIL relies on family and the others don't have children. But activities, schools, etc are pretty similar to the rest of England, if not the whole of the UK. Softplays and parks are everywhere. State schools are determined by catchment area and jolly good luck. If your budget extends to private schools, then you're in luck - there's more choice of private schools in London, particularly the more esoteric like Montessori primary schools (rare elsewhere).

GL x

How old is your dc?

Where will you be living?

What sort of work will you be looking for?

I'd say that if you don't have rent to pay, it should be fine. Rent is the biggest outgoing for most Londoners.

I live in east London and pay £5.50 an hour for a childminder which is cheap for the area.

I blog on stuff to do with kids in London at londonwithatoddler.com.

Lots of stuff about London is expensive (rents etc), but the cost of living isn't much different to anywhere else if you shop wisely (ie the supermarkets and restaurants are the same kinda prices as everywhere else). Travel is the main thing that adds up, esp for work but there are a lot of places that are walkable. Bus is much cheaper than the tube, and having an Oyster card is essential to cut down the costs of both.

There are some excellent schools - in our not-particularly-flash area we were choosing between 2xoutstanding schools and 1xgood. All 3, plus ds's oustanding nursery were within 400m.

Jobs-wise, I've been off the scene for a while. I believe it's competitive, but there are jobs out there.