Only 26 but feel like it's too late?

[FreshStartFever]

I'm 26 and left school straight after my GCSES and have gone from admin job to admin job ever since. I'm now a band 4 administrator in the NHS but it's just not what I want to do long term at all.

The thing is I have a 2 year old son, I only work part time at the moment as we have been trying for our second and it made sense to stay part time until we hopefully have two kids in school. I keep thinking about what I want to do at my point, but I feel so restricted.

My husband is 36 and last year landed his career as such, as opposed to his previous jobs, he's bringing in really good money but has to work weekends. I don't have the potential at the moment to earn anywhere near what he does, so if I can find a career that enables me to be home at weekends it would be perfect, plus I would prefer weekends at home. He can get Sundays off once our child is school age, but I'd rather avoid working Sundays then as it'll be our only day all together.

My issue is a few of the things I've thought of, midwifery, nursing etc will require weekends, shift work, it just won't be possible for me. I've thought about becoming a teacher but it'd be a big cost and years of training/uni whilst juggling small kids and surviving off one salary. It just seems like every idea I have isn't possible.

What do people do in this situation? I never went into further education as I didn't know what I wanted to do, I wanted to just earn money and get out my parents house which I achieved at 19 but now I realise that instead of rushing to be independent maybe I should of built more roots first for a career down the line.

On one hand I'm my having kids relatively young, I only want one more if we are lucky enough, so I always thought I'd have my whole life after to build a career. But how? I feel like I'll be stuck in admin for years with no real idea of what I'd prefer to do, and how to do it.

Not all nursing posts require weekends long term. A day unit or something might be 8-6 5 days a week. Or you could do nights? that way you wouldn't need to pay for childcare? The NHS have a great flexible working policy in my experience xxx

I feel the same as you Op. Although I am 5 years older & as of Sept, my two kids will be at school. I'm working PT and in a job that requires me to work all weekend which is crap. I also want out but I also didn't go into higher education either so I don't have a career. Unlike my husband, who at 31 is on 80k.

If you wanted to be a teacher, you could. I'm sure you can bursaries these days to go into teaching.
What about a counsellor? You can pick your own hours. There are a lot of choices out there. Good luck.

I know loads of single mums that have done nursing and midwifery degrees so I’m sure there’s a way of doing it. Your husband will just have to step up to support you.

Teaching won't give you weekends off and your children will spend part of their school holidays watching cbeebies on the interactive whiteboard in your classroom while you work and more of their holidays sat in front of dvds at home while you work.

You'll feel guilty for attending your own children's birthday parties and, at best, sit in the car planning phonics lessons while your children are at Saturday morning activities instead of watching them or talking to other people.