Secondary kids in the Holidays when you're working.

[GeneralMusings]

I'm looking at a job that's prediomiantly in person. My husband works mainly in the office too.

What do your kids do over the summer holidays/holidays in general?

I think my 15 year old can get about fine but my 12 year old is quite a young 12 year old and would find lots of days at home without an adult hard.

I think post covid it seems everyone wfh and has a parent home even if they're working!

OP, I think you are over thinking this. If it's your dream job, take it and you will work it out. Your kids are secondary school age.

I took them and they got the bus back. And then they started going by bus each way.

Go for it. It will work out. I'm a single parent, have kids 100% of the time with no family help and we made it.

I tended to wfh one day a week. I usually chose to wfh on Wednesday so they had only two days at a time at home alone, rather than 4 days in a row if I wfh on say a Friday/Monday. I found this worked the best as there are no clubs for this age where I live.

So once they got to secondary they came home be for you got back from work? And were alone in the holidays? It's great to hear people it's worked for.

Unfortunately there's so many threads about people preferring 4 days or talking about work life balance and needy teens that I keep doubting this!

So once they got to secondary they came home be for you got back from work?

That's the case for lots of primary age children too!

I honestly think this is a Mumsnet thing.

People claiming that it's more tiring having a teenager than a newborn. I really don't know anyone who thinks this IRL

I think you need to sacrifice family time quite often so your dh takes two weeks off and you take two weeks off. Then clubs or whatever for two weeks.

You could always take a tue/ Thurs off and that way they are at home together every other day.

I kept my 4 days as it's good for my own sanity and to have time at the weekend.

Teenagers are emotional needier than primary school children I find. Hormons are throwing everything up. But, they do need space to decompress after school and then are often ready to talk over dinner.

So the time between 4-7 is not that useful I find. If I wfh I may see if DD needs anything off her chest immediately but I also get a text or a call if I am at work and she needs to vent. Otherwise she eats something, vanishes and will be ok-ish to talk when dinner is in front of her.

Also all her hobbies are now in the evening, the earliest is 6pm and she can walk there unless it's winter and then DH or I see that we are home by then.

Yes I think 4 days would be better for my sanity tbh as I've worked pt for so long but I guess if it's a ft job I've gone for... You don't see 4 day jobs often.

I wonder if I could drop down once I have the job for a year.

Or maybe I'd manage. I am worried I'll be permanently exhausted.

But looking at finances we could so do with the money 😳. Driving lessons, car dying, kids wanting clothes...

You worry too much, OP.

Yes, maybe most people would prefer to work PT and WFH and be totally flexible and a bit less tired and not have to juggle stuff - but life’s not perfect.

You’ve got an older teen to keep the younger one company. Your DH can take time off some holidays. It’s pretty likely your new job will have some sort of flexibility built in, once past probation - or at least there’s no reason to assume it won’t, at this stage, unless it’s client-facing 100% of the hours, which is unlikely? In time you might negotiate 4 days, even, if you like it and they like you.

Don’t talk yourself out of it!

Thankyou 😍. And yes I am an expert in overthinking!

I've been looking more at the spec and reading around the job and I'm so excited by the role. I may well not get it as there's likely to be those more qualified but I'd so love to do it and I do have the skills 🤞. I really want the role 😊.
Thankyou so much for your supportive posts.