Stay at home jobs

[Whatismynameagain]

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

@Whatismynameagain

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

Asked them what? You’re not being very clear at all here OP.

What do you plan to ask your employer?

Your options are quite simple:
-Continue your current employment, maybe see if you can have set shifts, and use childcare
-Find another job, maybe WFH, but still use childcare
-Find a job that works around DP job (evenings and weekends) so you won’t need childcare
-be a stay at home mum, and take the hit in wages.

Do a short course in spray tan / gel nails / Russian lashes and set up working for your self eg you go to clients houses if you don’t have a spare room, offer evening appts, advertise on FB, probably make more money than you would in retail for less hours

You seem to be asking whether anyone will pay you to be a SAHM. The answer to that is no.

Your options are:

Work and use childcare
Work around your DH's hours
Don't work and deal with less money

It is that simple

Not rtft so apologies if this repeats others but I worked evenings in a pub when I first went back to work after years being a sahm . It was really good as dh was home to look after the kids in the evening and I got to play all day with the kids in the day without being distracted by work . I don't think many jobs you can wfh with kids there. I had a few friends who worked from home admin jobs like virtual pas but they did it when the baby was in bed for the night so we're often working 7-12 at night. And some friends trained as childminders .

Most employers Pre covid had very strict rules about not doing childcare when working from home it's not fair on your job or your child really

Im just scared I'll be missing out on stuff but I'll be with my baby during the day so I won't miss out Im probably over thinking things really

Is your retail job evenings? I don’t really understand what you are saying/asking OP?

No my retail jobs hours vary. I could anywhere between 7am-10pm

I get it, I ended up returning to work doing weekends and the occasional evenings (I'm a freelancer now). Many families have to sacrifice time together to make their financial situation work. Realistically, you either need to change jobs/re train or do as your partner suggest and pick up shifts around his working pattern. It's hard, but doable.

But my husband works sometimes 12 hour days and only would be able to work evenings probably

You're being really unclear in your posts OP, what do you mean by "missing out on stuff but I'll be with my baby during the day" - do you mean missing out on things with your baby or from not being at work??? Are you saying that your 25 hours retail are actually already evenings or you are going to try to change them to evenings? If you are with your baby in the day you will get the best (or worst!) of them, even if you work evenings that won't be every evening of the week so you will have plenty of times to bath them, put them to bed, admire them - hopefully - sleeping.

I think your best bet would be to talk to your employers about flexible working. Ideally you could have set shifts that either fit round DP shifts so no need for childcare or set shifts so you can have set childcare sessions.

I'll be missing out on my baby doing different stuff like enjoying Bath time and putting them to bed. I only work 25 hours per week as you said so I won't be doing every night in work. I just wanted to see what people's opinions on wfh would be. I'm very grateful for everyones opinion. I think the best situation would be to stay in my current job and work around my baby and husband

I'm assuming paying for childcare isn't an option because you cannot afford it?

Yeah we can't really afford (yes I know we are silly

I think the best situation would be to stay in my current job and work around my baby and husband

So you’re just going to go ahead with your husband looking after the baby while he is meant to be working?

@Whatismynameagain there's 168 hours in a week 84 of them daytime hours and you are worried that you will miss 25!! Get some perspective please!!

@MrsRobbieHart

I think the best situation would be to stay in my current job and work around my baby and husband

So you’re just going to go ahead with your husband looking after the baby while he is meant to be working?

I think she means she will work when her partner isn’t working. So no external childcare needed.

So what hours does your husband work?
You're worrying about not seeing your baby 24/7 but that's the reality of working, you'll very likely be glad of the break when the time comes

@Whatismynameagain

Im just scared I'll be missing out on stuff but I'll be with my baby during the day so I won't miss out Im probably over thinking things really

The reality is that yes...you will miss out on things.

Every parent does, whether you are a stay at home parent or a parent working outside of the home.

Some parents choose to work, others choose not to, but you do whatever is best for your family.

OP you need to speak to your current employer, about your options with regard to shifts. They will be expecting the conversation.

But there is no way that you and your DH can both WFH and not have appropriate childcare in place.

Could you re-train as a childminder? Or see if you could get a job in a Nursery and put your child in the same Nursery?

Also OP I would just say the reality of work is different to what you think when you are on Mat leave. I work full time and still put my kids to bed every night, saw their first steps etc. You still live with them and are still their primary care giver. It won't be as bad as you think it will be. Just enjoy the end of your Mat leave.

But my husband works sometimes 12 hour days and only would be able to work evenings probably
Your husband can also apply for flexible working: compressing his hours, going part time, spreading the hours over more, shorter days; or find a job that isn’t 12 hours a day. Why is it all on you to come up with the (vague) childcare/work balance plan?

Parenting always means missing out on something, whether that’s money by being a SAHP; time with your kid by working FT; or alone time/free time. You should “miss” bath/bed some nights by splitting it equally with your husband; and he should do 50% of childcare drop-offs/pick-ups, interminable playground trips, sick days, etc. But it sounds like, reading between the lines, he’s not budging much?

Why so many snarky comments towards the OP? She's come to ask for advice and help 🙄

Not everyone can afford childcare unfortunately, if your hourly rate is only a couple of pounds more than the per hour cost of the childminder, plus petrol, lunch, parking costs, its really not worth it, which doesn't help those families that need the extra money.

OP, you could train to become an ofsted registered childminder, if your house is big enough for your husband to work from home somewhere you won't all disturb each other.

Other than that, work when your husband is not working or look for a job where the hourly rate is enough to make a difference even after childcare. Could you work for Aldi or lidl who seem to have quite a high hourly rate compared to other companies that pay minimum wage? Or become a supervisor?