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Original poster

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

112 replies

mag2305 · 18/10/2021 21:43

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

OP posts:
Original poster
mag2305 · 19/10/2021 21:16

@PyjamaFan thank you. I am looking for part time work in schools. If I could get a day a week somewhere that would put me on about £600 a month which I'd be happy with. Plus a bit of tutoring on top. Fingers crossed.

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 19/10/2021 21:20

I would look into doing childcare, either nanny or childminder. Then you can be with your children and work at the same time.

LittleOverWhelmed · 19/10/2021 21:57

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Hullbilly · 19/10/2021 22:20

Maybe try the council? We have vacancies for things like tutors for DC who can't attend school for medical reasons.

Kite22 · 19/10/2021 22:51

I'm getting grumpy on your behalf with all the posters on here not answering your question

Well, tbf, the OP hasn't answered the question about how this childcare is being offered. The answer to that is crucial in anyone being able to make suggestions of what she might be able to do.

I chose to have children and desperately wanted to be a mum

You do realise you are still a Mum if you WOTH as most people do ? Hmm

Original poster
mag2305 · 19/10/2021 23:29

@Kite22 my parents and/or inlaws would look after the children either one day a week or two mornings a week. If I worked at the weekend or evenings, my dh would obviously do the childcare.
I feel like you're suggesting that I might be against working or against working more than I want to at present. My daughter is only 3 months old. I'm pretty sure many mums of a 3 month old would likely still be on mat leave.
I've put a lot of hours into teaching pre children. I was single for most of that time and not surprisingly, a workaholic. Teaching took over my life. When I met my dh at 30 and started a family, things changed. As I said before, my priority is being around for my children. The way I see it is, I put the initial foundations down. My job/salary paid for our first house and provided savings. Now it's my dh's turn to build his career in counselling which he's doing. My aim is to make just enough money to contribute to our outgoings, ideally at least £1500 a month between us. We live fairly simply and are careful with our money.
I don't want to look back one day and regret working more hours rather than being with my little ones. It's about finding the right balance.

OP posts:
Stompythedinosaur · 20/10/2021 02:35

It is usually worth claiming benefits if out of work to make sure your national insurance is credited and your pension entitlement isn't affected.

www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits

SleepingStandingUp · 20/10/2021 02:58

How much are you outgoings per month if you're mortgage free?

If your DH wages cover everything essential (say £200 utilities, £200 food, £150 Council tax, £50 misc, £200 General spends, £200 aside for clothes, hair cuts, minor one off costs ) I'd use the £34 CB cover groups and extras / clothes for the kids and I wouldn't be going back to work yet.

Eldest will get 15 hours in January so I'd start looking some time after Easter. Can you use her hours for one full day rather than 3 hours a day? If she's in nursery for free one day, and you pay for baby in nursery one day, plus have one day of child care from your parents you could look for something whether it's tutoring, shop work, cleaning etc that's a few days a week rather than a few hours every day to cut down your commute costs.

Equimum · 20/10/2021 07:02

When my teacher friend's children were very small, she had a one day per week teaching position, then tutored for about 5 hours on Saturdays.

Another friend has just taken work in a Tesco home shopping warehouse. She's doing 6-midnight shifts so her DH is home. Not amazing pay, but she gets a discount and no childcare costs.

Indoctro · 20/10/2021 07:12

I do 8.5 hours a week at a school

4 hours Monday
4.5 hours Tuesday

Lots of part time work in schools.

Rainbowsew · 20/10/2021 07:27

If you just want quick easy money, apply to a shop, bar, restaurant or cafe for the Christmas period.

Rainbowsew · 20/10/2021 07:33

What is the £1500 spent on each month with no mortgage to pay and only little ones to feed?

Maybe you should be looking to spend less on those things as an easier option than going out to work more?

PurBal · 20/10/2021 07:35

Administration for a church. I saw one for 5 hours the other week.

Rainbowsew · 20/10/2021 07:37

Also if you have 16k in savings what are you keeping them for?

That's quite a safety net. Surely this is the prime rainy day option to use them for? Not all obviously, but a little dip whilst you're at home with baby until you think she's old enough to be left more is surely better given your comments about wanting to be home with kids and not put baby in childcare.

Rainbowsew · 20/10/2021 07:49

Apologies just seen you want to make £1500 not that's it's current income.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 20/10/2021 07:50

mag2305 is becoming a childminder yourself not an option? Take on one child, and depending upon where you live that should bring in around £600 - £700 per month without you losing time with your children or paying for childcare. The compulsory preregistration course and fiest did course can be done over a few weekends. There are some costs to pay out of that but not much (primarily insurance) especially as you already have everything for children under 3 years old.

I gave up teaching to childmind and I was indeed better off than working a 60% timetable and paying for childcare, plus obviously I was my own boss and I really enjoyed childminding - approached it like an early years setting with a focus on getting outdoors every day, mix of planned activities and free play at home and going to groups too, and I think my own child really benefitted.

Malin52 · 20/10/2021 08:01

No advice OP apart from don't get suckered in to MLM and their promises of riches working around 'babies and the nooks and crannies of time'

Dashdotcom · 20/10/2021 09:38

Very niche but is there any puddle ducks swim classes (baby swimming) near you? I take my baby and they email quite regularly about poolside assistant jobs at local pools that are just 1 or 2 shortish shifts a week. You’d have to contact them as they don’t advertise those roles on their website. I know they’re uk wide so might be worth a look.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 20/10/2021 13:07

As your OH is so poorly paid, it would make sense for him to look after the children and you to go back to work. Or he could get a fulltime job at a higher wage. It would also save you the nice little bit of benefit fraud to keep him in part time employment (five days a week, term time only, is the equivalent of working 4 for fulltime employees).

EmmaGrundyForPM · 20/10/2021 13:23

I know you're saying you want to be with your children, but when you are considering claiming benefits rather than working for more than 8 hours a week, then I think you're making the wrong choice.

I get that teaching is really hard work. But if you are hoping to return to teaching full time when the children are older, you would be better to try to get a couple of days teaching in a school.

KeyboardWorriers · 20/10/2021 14:13

"I know you're saying you want to be with your children, but when you are considering claiming benefits rather than working for more than 8 hours a week, then I think you're making the wrong choice"

I totally agree

BettyCarver · 20/10/2021 14:52

Frankly it beggars belief that a couple who are mortgage-free home-owners by the time they're having babies (and with £16,000 savings in the bank!) can even consider taking benefits. And yes, before anyone points it out, it may well have been a sad situation like the death of a relative that led to them being mortgage-free, but there's no denying it's an exceptional position to be in at this stage of life.

Original poster
mag2305 · 20/10/2021 15:04

@BettyCarver I did already say that we wouldn't be able to claim for anything and that I had little understanding benefits anyway. My original mortgage was very small when I bought the first property and it was paid off by money left to me as I've lost 3 grandparents in the last 5 years and am an only child. So before people make judgements, a little sensitivity would be nice.
Plus I worked hard for many years before children and took on private tutoring on top of my teaching. I saved money from that time and that's obviously helped us hugely now.

OP posts:
BettyCarver · 20/10/2021 15:18

@mag2305 I'm not being insensitive at all. Many couples work very hard, many have lost some or all of their grandparents by the time they're becoming parents .... it doesn't equate to being mortgage-free for most couples!

You were the one who brought up benefits, which seems a bizarre way to think when you have the capacity to earn a decent salary and your husband is also earning.

And when it comes to sensitivity, perhaps remember that those of us who've worked since their children were 3 months old (because that's what ML used to) still consider being a parent is the most important thing of all Smile

Keepitonthedownlow · 20/10/2021 15:34

Child minder? You could do that full time also