I can only work 8 hours a week, what can I do?

[mag2305]

I have a toddler and 3 month old baby and will only be able to work 8 hours a week due to family doing the childcare. I'm a primary school teacher and although I'm not in a school at present, I do private tutoring, but only 2 hours at the moment.
I need to find a job with just a few hours but I don't know if I'll find a Jon like that. Any ideas? Doesn't have to be an education type job.
Thank you

Can either of you work in the school holidays? Evening/weekend work would surely be beneficial to you with DH's hours

If I was teaching full time, I could be taking home about £2500 a month but there is no way I would sacrifice being with my children for that. I used to do an 11+ hour day when I was childless and full time but those days are gone. The idea is that my husband and I will job share eventually which will be a good arrangement.
With our savings, they are for essential work on the house. We do not have credit cards, any debt and live fairly simply, well within our means. Therefore, my aim for work now is to contribute to our outgoings.

That’s a very low full time wage for your husband?? Presume he is part time? Could he up his hours? Or surely he is available for childcare? Or would you take on extra tutoring at the weekend? Plenty of families don’t have every weekday evening and 2 weekend days for ‘family’ time.

I think a few comments are not realising that my priority is to be with my babies for the most part. So although full time teaching could pay well enough, what a sacrifice to make! It's just about finding the right balance at the moment.

I really cannot understand why you would stay at home instead of your DH if you can earn 2.5 times his monthly salary 🤔. You know your child would be as happy with your DH as with you? It seems a huge come down in earnings to stay at home, when one of you could still stay at home with the children. It’s not as if the choice is both of you working or him working - you could work and he could stay at home.

We are just trying to be objective with the figures you have provided.

Probably tutoring or exam marking would be the best bet? But if you as a couple decide the best thing for your children is that you stay at home as much as possible, then realistically their father will probably need to try to up his earnings as well.

You've sacrificed by taking a massive step back from you're career (although when the baby is tiny it might not feel like a sacrifice, objectively in the long run it most definitely is). Has your husband had to make any sacrifices to ensure the children are cared for and the household functions financially?

@Anoisagusaris yes it is lower than he'd like. He's doing part time as an LSA and part time as a school counsellor. It's the LSA wage that brings his income down. However, that is just temporary as in time, he will be taking on my counselling work in schools and privately. We're trying to figure it all out between us.

*more

Our county's Library Service has a bank of staff to call on to cover leave and sickness. Could be useful to fit in around your childcare.

I would be thinking about your long term career path. For me, I'd rather earn more per hour in tutoring or a day per week agency (what you are qualified in) than take a minimum wage retail/restaurant job. You'll then keep your toe in with your profession and keeps your options open for future flexible working.

I basically picked up one 8 hour shift on m & s. On a Sunday. Not great pay at 9.50 an hour but I'm only there for the discount!

@yoshiblue yes, I think you're right. I'm a primary school teacher. In fact, an agency sent me a flexible, in school tutoring job this morning so I'm going to apply for that. Good timing!

Supermarkets around here are crying out for staff. My DS (just graduated) is working 6pm -12 shelf stacking whilst he looks for more permanent degree related employment. He could have as many hours as he wanted. If your DH works in a school then I assume he's home in time to put the children to bed. You would miss very little of your DC as they'd mostly be asleep whilst you're at work. You're motive seems to be just to bring in extra income whilst still being able to spend time with your DC. So supermarket evening work is ideal.

@mag2305 Oh fabulous that's great news. I'm a governor and I know there is much more of this type of work available now due to Covid catch up. Getting yourself going with an agency sounds like a great idea.

A housekeeper for an Air BnB property? Obviously this depends where you live!

Plenty of shops require someone to just work a Saturday or Sunday. Many require xmas temps and if you prove yourself, you might be kept on. It's what I did when DC younger, I was lucky to be taken on doing a combination of cash (no previous experience) and shop floor work.

Overall you’d be better off if you could work 16 hours and have to pay for eight hours childcare than if you don’t work at all though.

If you’re okay with minimum wage type jobs then it shouldn’t be too tricky.
Our local McDonald’s and a family chain pub do very flexible hours for parents (school hours/just evenings/weekend only ect) and I’ve also seen a lot of care homes offering flexible hours and family-friendly part-time hours.

I was a supply teacher until July, working at one school doing PPA cover a day and a half a week. I earned £165 a day.

I'm now a part time TA, mornings only. There are part time roles out there!

It just makes no sense for you to be scrabbling around for something you can do in 8 hours a week, as a qualified teacher, when your dh is spending part of the week being paid at LSA rate. He needs to be the SAHP for a whil (or part time) whilst you work - even part time.

Agree@Kite22 it's bonkers

I know someone recently who went for a Iceland job which was for 7 hours.

You’re ignoring other aspects of your income- National insurance, pension contributions. Honestly, your DP wage is so tiny I don’t know how you will support 4 people on it.

I'm getting grumpy on your behalf with all the posters on here not answering your question and instead, telling you what to do. You've made a choice. You want to be with your kids right now. You don't want their dad to be the one to do it.

Some more ideas for those 8 hours (or other flexible hour jobs):
Saturdays at a fancy restaurant that gives good tips,
Driving out of hours drs around
Events work e.g. marathons, triathalons etc.
A place where kids go on school trips that need an extra casual teacher at peak times - depends on your specialism a bit.
Soooo many community mentoring type roles about at the moment with the covid funding, could definitely dictate hours.
Really small businesses who can't afford to take someone on full time, but it's become that little bit too much for them to manage themselves
Library assistant
Cleaner
Wedding celebrant? I don't know if this is really part time but I feel like they have much more work on Saturdays
Events work at a venue - concerts, weddings
Opticians

I would just scout your area and make some speculative approaches selling yourself. The great thing about it being super part time is that it's fun as it's different and novel compared with being with the kids and you don't need to get involved in office politics or anything like that.

Oh and please don't commit benefit fraud.

@SonicStars thank you. You get it!

I want to be able to enjoy my children. I don't want to miss out on this stage whilst they're so little. I chose to have children and desperately wanted to be a mum so that's really important to me. I think it's a bit unfair when babies especially are put into nurseries from a really young age. I know some people have no choice but I would personally hate to do that just so I could work more.
We're fortunate in that we don't have a mortgage so just need to make enough between us for all other outgoings.

Have no intention of committing benefit fraud. Apart from child benefit and SMP for my first child, I've never claimed for anything so don't have much idea about benefits. My previous comment was made in total ignorance really.