To think is it practical to go back to work when kids are in primary school- are you a dinner lady ?

[Douse]

Lets explain my life 1st- married my husband works full time 10 hrs a day and weekends and we have 2 children in primary school(6+9) .
I havnt worked for 6 years now as the company went under whilst on maternity leave. We live happily on husband wage and uc/child benefits topping it up with savings also and don't have money concerns.
Ive seen there's a dinner lady job at a local school 20 mins walk from where I live -i don't drive. (Not the school my kids attend)
It sounds ideal as something with only 8 hours monday-friday suits me so that i can still focus on being with the kids at holidays and weekends (no family around and we refuse to pay out the costs of childcare/nursery) its term time- however is it practical with having kids my self ? If one is sick for example or there's an appointment.

Knowing ive got a purpose again bringing in my own money to the house would be nice but not needed
Socialising again with people also would be a benefit
Are you a dinner lady with your own kids at a different school?

This is a bit odd.

Many many parents work full time with primary aged kids, why do you think you wouldn’t be able to manage 8hrs a week?

And how can you have a high wage and savings in the household and still get benefits, that makes no sense to me.

Is this a bit of a goad to get people frothing?

Im one and its great.

How on earth can you being entitled to UC if your husband is on a high wage and you can plough it into savings. Surely that makes a mockery of what it’s there for?

OP doesn't make the UC rules.

People have very different ideas of what a high wage is. I'd say I'm on a high wage, as it is compared to what i used to earn, but most of the MNetters talking about their high wages would probably disagree.
. Go for it, OP.

OP are you referring to child benefit when you say UC? That would make more sense

Make appointments at 4pm

How the other half live!

Sounds doable OP. I've never done the job myself but my auntie did it as her way back into work after SAHPing for a bit when her kids were little, and it worked well for them. There are going to be illnesses and appointments sometimes but you manage, and worst case scenario one of you has to take some unpaid leave. You can always leave if it's not working for you.

I don't particularly care about people responding to the financial incentives the system provides, that happens at all income levels, but I do think for anyone in circumstances like this it's worth factoring in that the government are starting to panic about the size of the labour force. I expect more attempts at coercive measures. As you haven't given amounts it's hard to be specific, so if you're on like a tenner a week UC that you can manage without it may not be a risk. But generally I think there's something to be said for sorting yourself out with a suitable role before the system tries to make you. I would go for it.

Indeed.

This is a very depressing read. This is not what benefits are there for.

But as long as they are available, there will be people like OP who cheerfully claim them.

Oh well, lunch hour over. Time to get get back to my full time job whilst my kids are at school and childcare.

I admit my previous reply may have been snarky, and I don't like to be like that. But it did touch a nerve.

But in response to the OP I would say, yes, definitely go for it. I have known a few dinner ladies, all have enjoyed it, and the hours are obviously ideal.

I'm a single mum with two kids who live with me all the time. I work two part time jobs that amount to full time hours usually. I have no family around for childcare, a few friends sometimes help out in emergencies as I do for them if I can. Yeah it's rough going sometimes (often), but I manage.

From your post I'm not sure what planet you're living on or how you think most parents manage. Most people don't have the luxury of not getting a job at all for years just in case one of their children is ill or has an appointment occasionally.

My lovely mum was a dinner lady for 24 years and only retired so she could look after DD for me when I went back to work

There are mums and dads at DD's school (parents of DD's classmates) who still remember my mum as their dinner lady

Do it, you might love it and who knows what it might lead to

Yes I am and my kids are at a different school. Headteachers are usually understanding that you might need to be off if your child is unwell. Most schools are crying out for lunch staff so they'll be happy that you are interested. Good luck.

How often are your kids off school now? At 6 and 9 I wouldn’t think it would be particularly often, unless they have medical issues. Yes kids get colds and sick bugs and chicken pox etc, but is it really that frequent? Same with appointments, unless they or you have medical conditions that need regular hospital appointments, what appointments are you going to regularly that can’t be made for convenient times? If it’s only 8 hours a week, that’s still a lot of time when you’re not working.

Anyway it’s the same as any job. You juggle with your DH and take time off if needed. Obviously if your employer thinks it’s excessive you stand potentially losing your job. DH may have to step up more with the kids, but presumably he’s had an easy ride up to now as you’ve been at home.

Not needing any afterschool or holiday care is a huge bonus

This is interesting. I work in school and part of my role is family welfare. Yesterday I met with a Mum who is struggling and asked for help as she thinks she should be getting benefits.
Her children are 8 and 10. She hasn’t worked since the eldest was born. Her partner earns £28000 pa from full time employment. We did all the calculations through official channels and she qualifies for child benefit ONLY. Definitely not universal credit and I didn’t think £28000 is a “high salary”.
If OP is managing savings and “no money concerns” on just her DHs wage then it is probably more than £28000 pa. The threshold for getting state help is actually very low.

Living on benefits to be “comfortable” hardly how the other half live!!!

Why do you get any UC if your husband earns a high wage?

I don't understand the U.K. system at all!

@Meandfour yes it is, because she's at home all day not having to work unlike most people!

If you’re working I assume you have a better life than OP at home on benefits.
A pension for one!

We all know that’s is not always the case. People on benefits have the NI paid for them and will still get the same state pension that I will get. Infact they will probably get a higher rate than me.

I should’ve said a good pension. Nobody is having a comfortable retirement on the state pension!

A hugh wage in my area would still leave a family without much after paying rent, so they'd be entitled to some towards that.

What Mumsnet calls a middling wage is actually, to most people and in fact, very, very high indeed.

How often are your kids off school ill, for you to consider not working at all, just on the off chance they might be sick

My parents are fine on the state pension plus pension credit top ups.

Do you actually like children? Or want to work with them? Understand that you have to train in safeguarding, paediatric first aid, behaviour etc ?
My friend is a headteacher and says that the amount of people wanting to be a midday supervisor only because it fits in with their own dc and not because they have actually thought about how full on that job is, even though it's only an hour and a half is astounding. She sits in on all the interviews and says it is blindingly obvious who the genuine ones are.