to think that there are very few jobs which fit in with young children in school?

[jamieoliverfan]

Especially considering how often they get ill (my dc started in September and has been off ill for 20 days with 2 tummy bugs, 3 double ear infections and now tonsillitis and ear infection) plus then there are all the school holidays.

Both dh and I don't want to leave our dc in before and after school childcare or childcare during the Holidays as we believe that we should look after our own child. So I would like to know what jobs could you do between 9.30 and 15.00 Monday to Friday except term time and during illness?

I have contacted supermarkets: they were not interested re how to deal with flexibility in case of illness (dh cannot take time off in these circumstances)(i.e.unpaid leave I suggested, but that was not possible). Also contacted local businesses but they thought the hours were too restricted and that school holidays would be a problem.

Is there anybody who has a job during term time with some flexibility in case of children being ill? What do you do and how did you get it?

Thanks a lot.

StarExpat

Yeah, I re-read this bit

"because our children are the priority for us and we don't like dumping them on others. Also, we think we are best placed to look after our own children as we clearly can solely focus on them and have their best interest at heart. We specifically chose to have children so we feel that they are our responsibility not of society. Also, we do not need the latest car and expensive holidays, clothes etc. to be happy ..."

OP - this REALLY makes you look like a HUGE judgemental wanker, it implies you think that people who leave their children in childcare are negligent because they're not looking after them themselves. You're also implying that people should only have children if they can afford to stay at home/take a part time job and never let them spend a moment under the care of anybody but you or the school.

I am happy to offer advice if you want it, but you seem to have left the thread for some reason..

I sometimes worry about this. I know now never to ask about it on here.

DH is a police officer and works long and unpredictable hours. He regularly leaves at 6am and isn't home until late at night. That rules out evenings and weekends. It's going to have to be school hours.

I'm casting around for work atm but finding it very hard indeed.

I suppose if I went on the game I could also see more of dh and fit some exercise into the working day.

Yanbu. Fitting work around looking after children is bloomin' tricky and pretty miserable.

I'm about to start the hunt for that elusive school admin job before DS has his first school summer holiday in summer 2011.

I am lucky that I was able to take unpaid leave to look after DD when she had 3 days off sick from nursery but my boss isn't going to be happy if I do it too often.

The teachers who educate your children, the doctors who treat them, the librarian who keeps their library running - all manner of people who help make your kids world nice also have kids of their own.

It's fine and great to be a sahm if your household can afford it, but it's a bit much to be so patronising about parents who juggle work and home.

But you knew that , didn't you? Getting the word 'dump' into your second post . But for best effect it's 'dump with strangers'.

Pink and MilliONaire - how can you possibly want to support a poster who has deliberately set out to hurt many many women on here, who will never have done anything whatsoever to harm you, and whose children are their entire world?

[elbows Lequeen out of the way] Gerrof. She was my hero first.

To stick to the question asked: I have two part time jobs, which equate to 23 hours per week in total. One is for the local Council - I worked for them pre-children and have kept a link. I was lucky enough to return from maternity leave at a time when they were desperate to keep experienced staff, and have carved out a niche where I am responsible for some projects that can mostly be done from home. The other job is for my own church, who have employed me to develop their work with families and children. That is a development of work that I was doing on a voluntary basis. Again, I was in the right place at the right time.

23 hours per week fits within school hours if necessary, although in practice some of the work is at evenings or weekends. I have a huge amount of flexibility about when I work, as long as I do the contracted hours and attend meetings, training courses etc as required. My kids get involved in the church work, because they are part of my client base!

I tend to do extra hours in term time and slack off during school holidays, but I'm basically never entirely off-duty unless we are actually away.

Even with that level of flexibility, school holidays and children being sick involves a great deal of juggling hours, working evenings to make up for lost time, calling in favours from friends etc. I am also lucky in having a friend who is a childminder and is willing to cover the occasional school pickup or afternoon meeting for me.

In other words, if you honestly can't bring yourself to use childcare, you have little chance of getting back into the employment market. I doubt whether any job is more flexible than mine, and it's still hard to join the dots sometimes.

A few things that come to mind are working in a school, university or college or teaching some kind of baby class like swimming or baby massage or baby signing.

It's not that many jobs though in terms of the whole market, I think most people who want or need to work just have to make those sacrifices that you are lucky enough not to have to.

and as for supermarkets not being 'flexible' regarding illness of children etc, well I'm sure most places have emergency time off for dependents and its so many days a year. I work in asda and we get around 5 per year not much i know but when you factor in things like shift swaps and holidays then it all adds up

yes get a job in the evenings like I do, dp works when I don't we both hate it but there you go its what we do to survive

I occaisionally 'dump' my kids into breakfast club so I can work overtime

Noone is attacking SAHM's but I do find 'some' SAHM's`can be very smug and look down on working mums.

I do wonder and know this is going to get me flamed* If the OP who is so smug about not 'dumping' her kids on anyone is supplementing her income with tax credits???
Maybe not but there are a lot of SAHM's who look down on us who work to make ends meet but happily take tax credit income which allows them to stay at home

If you really want to work why not consider something you can do from home. Avon Osbourne books etc That way you choose the hrs and are in control. Never going to make a fortune but it's pocket money. Good luck. I'm self employed and would never go back now. It's fab.

Girls girls let's all play nicely . The OP just wanted to start a ruck and it's working let's not give her the satisfaction eh

Self employment might be the answer.I work 8.45-3.15pm 4 days a week,so that I can be around when the dc finish school.However,they are desperate to go to the after school club and ask me every week if I can work longer hours so they can attend.

I have a part-time, school hours job, and I can take off time for DD's sickness with no questions asked.
I do work in school holidays though, DD goes to a CM.
I can cover all bank Holidays too as I work Tue-Thurs so I'm around most of the time. In term time DD is in Childcare for an hour a week and that's it.

Of course there's a pay off though, in that my job is just pence over minimum wage, there are no prospects and I get to clean up shit most days.

I don't mind though because my bosses are really good, I also get a fair bit of overtime if I want it, which is the extra days (Mon and Fri) so I can still do it in term time without using extra childcare.

get a job in a school as a teaching assistant but accept that sometimes you will have to take time off for child's sickness and some of it may be unpaid.

However, I think by implying the rest of us who work aren't putting our kids first your attitude sucks and clearly you think you are above the rest of us so I'm sure such a job would be beneath you!

I have no issues at all with SAHMs, if I had the choice I would be one myself. And I also have my reservations about school breakfast and teatime clubs, some are excellent some very poor. I don't have an issue with the OP asking for advice about flexible jobs, I have an issue with her wording.

It was this comment that particularly got to me:

"Also, we do not need the latest car and expensive holidays, clothes etc. to be happy ..."

As if for everyone it comes down to a straightforward choice- be there for your children or have expensive holidays.

Oh LeQueen!! (blushes back)

And schools are rather reluctant to take on someone who wants a job just because it fits in with their lifestyle-we can afford to be rather picky you know

And kungfu!!

probably been suggested but, what about being self employed so you can control when you work yourself?

Well personally I AM with my DS 24/7. I just fit it into the 16 hours that I am not working. I am that efficient.
[radiates smugness] Beat that.

Ok another option is that you get the main day time job and then dh gets a flexible/evening job to fit around yours. The reason i suggest this is some night jobs easier for a man i.e. bar work, taxi driving etc.