Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

How do u get a job with children with low wages and high Childcare???

49 replies

Fizzybee · 16/04/2012 14:23

After being made redundant going to college and having ds2 I'm trying to find a job not least as dps hours have been cut and were skint

So I am being offered jobs at an average 6.50/7 an hour

However Childcare is 4 p/h and after school club is £8 per day (thats not Inc holidays for dd1 which I dread to imagine !)

Meaning in an 8 hour day full time I'm working for £12 a day , £60 a week

Oh and I'm losing my £75 a week tax credits meaning I'm £15 a week worse of working

Part time isn't any better were entitled to no other benefits I've checked all the calculators etc...

How the hell is that an incentive to work? seriously how does anyone get a job when they have children??

OP posts:

ishopthereforeiam · 16/04/2012 14:25

what about other careers? child minding services as a job - would mean you could work from home so no need for extra childcare costs?

otherwise is there anyone that could help out with child care free of charge (family members)?

YouOldSlag · 16/04/2012 14:26

I don't know what to say and I don't know how to solve it but we do have the highest childcare costs in Europe but I don't know the solution. Child care workers deserve a decent wage but how can the govt make it easier/cheaper/ a better option?

I don't know. YANBU though.

BerryMenlove · 16/04/2012 14:29

Totally in the same boat. YANBU.

Original poster

Fizzybee · 16/04/2012 14:30

Nope no family to help out sadly and dhs hours are erratic so I couldn't say get an evening job or weekend etc...

I have thought about childminding actully mabey I should look into it in more detail ...

It's just rubbish :(

OP posts:

Original poster

Fizzybee · 16/04/2012 14:33

I want to work that's the worst part we can't actully afford for me to be a sahm but can't afford for me to work

I'm sick of counting everything to the last penny at tesco I'm sick of having old clothes

Its just ridiculous

OP posts:

JockTamsonsBairns · 16/04/2012 14:46

Nothing helpful to add at all I'm afraid - YANBU.

I'm in a very similar boat to you in terms of not being able to earn enough to cover daytime childcare. Dh works fairly regular hours though, so I work evenings and weekends. I'm literally waiting for him to get home at 6pm and I pass him at the door on my way out to work. Also, he's got the 3 dc's from 7am - 10pm on a Saturday, and 7am til 1pm on a Sunday. It's not ideal for a family life, but I can't see any other way round it.

wimblehorse · 16/04/2012 14:53

Shit isn't it?
I have a professional post-degree qualification and 10 years experience in my field. With only 1 child in childcare, after paying for that and commuting costs I take home less than £15 per day.
DC2 is on the way now and I can't face working out how much it will cost me to work...

The way I look at it, there are 3 options

tough it out, even if you're not earning anything after childcare as an investment in your career for the future when you won't be paying out (such high) childcare
look into working from home options - childminding, tutoring, writing, freelance anything, selling, distributing etc that you don't have to pay out childcare for
be a SAHM

Starwisher · 16/04/2012 14:53

It is very, very hard.

As suggested above the only real way to work from home, such as becoming a childminder. Or tutoring, ironing services, making things to sell...

Or could dh find a job that pays better, in the same field?

Natasugar · 16/04/2012 15:10

I have a suggestion average the cost of you childcare thoughout the year it doesn't bite as much then. Next one try and get a job as a school receptionist these vacancys are avalible under the county councils website. The best bit about this is most of them are term time only meaning during holidays you could help out at out of school/ holiday club pay reduced child care cost because you were helping gain your qualification and still bring money into the household.
:)
Is there a job going at the college part-time 25-30 per week?
Have you tried maid to clean the cleaning agency you could fit your hours around your course and claim the costs of your petrol back as a business expence.
Also if you break during holiday time from your course seasonal camp sites take the children with you to work.
Just a few ideas for you to puzzle over.
Hope this helps.

swallowedAfly · 16/04/2012 15:15

actually it bites more because you have to factor in full time childcare for all the school holidays.

Bumblequeen · 16/04/2012 15:16

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at poster's request.

swallowedAfly · 16/04/2012 15:17

it's scary that it is this hard for someone in a couple with a full time working partner when single women have to try and do it on one wage.

cost of living is insanely high and wages for most insanely low add in highest costing childcare and you have a very unbalanced book.

Bonkerz · 16/04/2012 15:19

I was a nursery manager on £6.90ph before I had DS. I have two other children. I couldn't afford to go back even with a staff discount for baby's care. I am now a registered childminder and it works for us as a family!

BoffinMum · 16/04/2012 15:22

Some people set up their own businesses and this can be a way of having your cake and eating it, if your idea is sound.

BoffinMum · 16/04/2012 15:23

How old are your DCs, by the way?

blapbird · 16/04/2012 15:27

Can I just say that though child care costs are high. The standard of Early Years "education" and child care through Nurseries leaves a lot to be desired.

I used to work full time in a pre-school room in a private Nursery, I was on £6 per hour and some other members were on less, because they didn't yet have their NVQ3.

I would (with 2 other girls) take care of 28 children at any one time in cramped conditions (but that's not the point), the point is, that when I saw one of the parents' MONTHLY bill, it amounted to more than my monthly wage even though I was there For 40 hours a week and forced to attend, unpaid staff meetings (aka slagging off parent sessions) so if there were 12 people working there and 100 children attending the entire nursery, SOMEONE is making a HUGE profit.

The money is not pumped back into the resources or food because both were both of a terrible standard.

I am not just talking from one experience, I have worked in 2 other Nurseries, that were just as bad.

The women that worked there were bullies, would shout at the children, demoralise members of staff, never praise any efforts of others to improve things, they lacked basic maths and literacy skills themselves.

I do think the quality of Early Years Provision needs improving somewhat.

I would stay at home myself

HappyMummyOfOne · 16/04/2012 15:34

You could work shifts so you dont need childcare as one of you will always be home.

Its always bound to be tough cost wise on childcare if you have more than one child, its not like costs are unknown.

Voidka · 16/04/2012 15:39

YANBU - I am in the same boat and its depressing.

samandi · 16/04/2012 15:48

Is your partner is paying for childcare costs too? If you are paying half, that makes it £16 a day. Which is a chunk of your wage but it's not an enormous amount. You have £40 left over, or £200 a week.

samandi · 16/04/2012 15:49

Sorry, £20 a day, forgot about after school club.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 16/04/2012 15:56

I have been working very part time for the past 2 years in a very basic, minimum wage job. I paid a chunk of that out in childcare so on the face of it a waste of time.. However that job meant no gap in my c.v and gave me skills that have led to a new job that pays considerably more and has real prospects I also have guaranteed funding for this new job for 3 years. My Dc's are all in school now so my only outlay will be after school club (no holiday cover needed DH is a teacher).
What I'm trying to say is that sometimes a job may not be perfect but it keeps your foot in the door IYSWIM and can lead onto better things in the future. I'm sure that is why many parents keep plodding for what seems like little return whilst the DC's are small.

callmemrs · 16/04/2012 18:04

I am not sure I understand the detail (though I am sympathetic to your plight)

If the two parents are both working (and presumably you are both at work to need childcare) then even if your jobs are minimum wage, if you calculate the annual income and offset it against childcare costs, you should find you're better off, especially as your kids are school age so you get a large chunk of the day without costs. It's no good looking at it on a weekly or monthly basis, as August may well be a month where you pay out more than you bring in- but over the year, you should be better off.

There are also subsidies for childcare for people on low incomes so look at that to see how you stand

If it is genuinely true that some people are actually better off not working then the system is shit

Having said that, many people do work and are no better off short term but do it to stay in the workplace and for the long term advantages.

theincredibequeenofwands · 16/04/2012 18:12

I work nights.

No other option.

That way I'm home in the day for school runs and such.

DrCoconut · 16/04/2012 18:40

Do you qualify for any help through tax credits? If you were getting £75 a week and will only be earning £6.50 an hour ish I'd have thought you'd still get something if you are paying childcare. We were surprised in a good way by that!

swallowedAfly · 16/04/2012 19:51

presumably the partner is a hrt payer hence the loss of tax credits? in which case this wouldn't add up at all frankly.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread