Stay at home jobs

[Whatismynameagain]

Im currently on maternity leave and I want to know what jobs are available for stay at home mothers.

We have talked through childcare when I was pregnant. He said I would work in the evenings and weekends.

he said? And what did you say? Or is it just his decision?

@Whatismynameagain

I don't have any skills apart from working in retail. We have talked through childcare when I was pregnant. He said I would work in the evenings and weekends.

I'm assuming you agreed? What other options do you have? We couldn't afford childcare when we were both at work which is why I worked days in the week and DP worked nights at weekend (nights because it paid more)

Because he works full time and at home it would be perfect for him. But I used to work a mixture of hours pre baby but I want to be able to work mixture or shifts post baby

@GreyTriangleCatEars

I wfh doing general admin for a company based about 300 miles away from me. They expected me to send over a copy of my arranged childcare for the hours I was working, so my DDs at after school club twice a week, which means on another night a week I finish in time to take a break, pick her up, take her to an activitiy and I work an hour or two while she's at her activitiy.

They asked everyone, male and female, couples and single parents for proof they have childcare. Which isn't uncommon now. My mum had to prove for her to wfh that my DBro was a teen and wouldn't bother her in work hours.

How do you have proof if it isn't 'professional' childcare?

Even if you work from home you still need childcare. I work from home and out my 10 and 6yr old into childcare, I can't focus with them here and they don't need half the attention a baby/toddler needs. Employers don't allow it either.

Unless your self employed you will need childcare if you want to work, same goes for your partner. If you are both working you need childcare.

You’re being totally unrealistic to think that either you or your husband can wfh in any consistent or effective way with your child there with you. Try it and see how fast you end up on the receiving end of disciplinary proceedings for poor performance or breach of contract. As PPs have said, the only option if you want to earn money from home is some kind of creative/freelance type set up.

You don’t want to leave your child, that’s understandable. But you also need to be responsible and realistic. If your plan (or ‘his’ plan…what’s that all about?) was you working evenings and weekends after the baby came, what has changed? What’s different now making you think otherwise? Just make sure if you go down that route that your husband spends his evenings while you’re at work doing housework, batch cooking etc. No reason you should work around the clock while he still gets evenings to relax by himself.

If you don't have any skills rather than retail, then weekend or evening work will be your option. I work from home, and so do all my colleagues, but our company is suited for that. Project management, accounting, procurement... All things one can easily do from home, but if I suspected that any of my employees was doing childcare at the same time (unless an emergency), they would not keep their job for very long.

How do you have proof if it isn't 'professional' childcare?

@LST I don't know I never had that issue, but I've seen a colleague on zoom with her mum in the background caring for her DC so I'm assuming those arrangements would be acceptable.

@GreyTriangleCatEars

How do you have proof if it isn't 'professional' childcare?

@LST I don't know I never had that issue, but I've seen a colleague on zoom with her mum in the background caring for her DC so I'm assuming those arrangements would be acceptable.

Fair enough. I used family members or school for my childcare (really lucky I know). Though my work have never asked about WFH and childcare.

So your husband decided you would work evenings and weekends - unclear whether you had any say or agreed to those plans? Now the baby is here you don't wish to work those hours so you are looking for alternatives - tricky.

Yeah it's very tricky. I want to be with my child I know every parent does and I can't really pick and choose what I can do

@Whatismynameagain

Yeah it's very tricky. I want to be with my child I know every parent does and I can't really pick and choose what I can do

It’s not tricky. That’s exactly the same position for all parents.

Yeah I know! I came on here for advise

It's not tricky. Do what everyone does if 2 parents are working - pay for nursery, nanny or childminder. Or if you are very lucky grandparents doing regular care. That is what everyone else does. Or one person gives up work (I'm not suggesting giving up work I think you should hold onto your job).

25 hours a week, is that 3 shifts? Put the baby in nursery 3 days per week while you work. Or ask for staursay shifts, then you'll only need one day and your partner can have the baby on Saturdays.

There's no obvious solution OP. You either pay for / arrange childcare or only work when your husband is around. Neither you or your husband can work and look after your child (you may be forgetting your baby will turn into a toddler?).

You can't really look for a job purely based on the fact it's WFH; your best bet is to look for office based jobs and hope they're flexible. But you'd still need childcare.

Just whatever you do, don't join an MLM.

@Whatismynameagain

Yeah I know! I came on here for advise

Yeah, and?

Not every parent does though @Whatismynameagain...I loved going back to work to be honest. Bring at home was nice but it didn't enthral me. Work is good for you for so many reasons!!

Steer clear of any MLM ‘work from your home/phone’ companies.

Could you look to do one or two long days at work? Use childcare for those days which would still leave you with 5 days together. You might not need full days of childcare if your partner can be slightly flexible with their hours on those days.

I did bar work when my children were young and the shifts were flexible. Not always weekends and late nights. It also gave me a bit of a social life and time to be ‘me’ rather than ‘mum’ which I think is important.

There's no way you could wfh and look after a baby. I'm not sure many employers would support that either.

@Whatismynameagain

Yeah I know! I came on here for advise

Well you’ve had plenty.

I worked in retail before having dd and didn’t return after maternity leave. I got a job as a domiciliary care company instead, and I love it! I worked part time, 3 evenings a week and every other Sunday. It worked out perfect for us.
Dd is now 7 and I work full time as a midwife, DH is a chef and so childcare can be a pain but we make it work!

Have you actually approached your current job about flexible working patterns? And whether you can work your 25 hours across 2 long days, 3 average ones, 5 short ones, etc (whichever scenario works for you)? Have you looked into local childcare options – nanny, nursery, childminder? You need to be proactive and make a firmer plan than “your partner said work evenings”.

Im very grateful for everyones advice. I haven't asked my employee yet I have very bad anxiety and I'm just struggling with the thoughts of going back

I work for a bank and some elements of the job have become work from home and also flexible. This has only evolved since covid and luckily for me is permanent direction the company is going in.
I’m due to go on mat leave but on my return i would be expected to have childcare and not be looking after baby during work.

My situation is different though in that as the higher earner we have decided I will work and my partner will be a stay at home dad.
I will use flexi time to enable me to take a chunk out of my day to be with them both and work mainly early morning 6-10 then evenings 3-7 for example.

There will be lots of companies that are evolving to work from home- if you can be flexible and work evenings on phones for example I know of people who work from home in customer service phone jobs.

When doing your job search don’t limit mileage and search for companies like Asda etc

And I know that those flexi hours are my ideal and once reality is here it might need to change