to ask what jobs you do that fit in well with school hours?

[Cakebaker35]

Came up in conversation this week with a group of friends about what jobs work well around school hours etc, am genuinely interested to know what you all do that works well around your family?

A bit of context, I'm currently a SAHM which I really enjoy but plan to go back to work once DD goes to school. However previous career is totally incompatible with family life due to long hours/international travel and frankly I just don't want to do what I used to do anymore.

The friends I was talking to all said they think the only way is to work for yourself. Do you think this is true?

Admin in local council, work 9:30-1:30 5 days a week

Teacher, I have colleagues that do the school run depending on start and finish times. I can be home by 4pm and can get into school at 8:30 . Minimal childcare needed . The big bonus is the holidays .

The only downside is that now I am quite senior and expecting our fifth child I would like to go part time, but can't.

I work at a local business on an 80% contract, but split over 5 days with shortened lunchbreaks. When DD goes to school I will be able to drop her off every day and aim to collect her twice a week with short after school clubs on the other days. I think the key for me is to work very near home/school.

arisbottle that's funny I was just about to post to say absolutely NOT teaching. I find I need to be there by 8 and can rarely leave to pick up ( and feel very guilty if I do) eventhough DD's school finishes later than mine. Also the number of times I ave to be at wirk from 5 till 8 makes things very tricky. Obviously though the holiday situation is great.

Sparkling yep it's absolutely what I wanted. I was a sahm for 11 years and a nursery nurse for 8 years prior to that.

If it was purely for convenience I wouldn't have accepted a position 2 bus rides away from DDs school. I consider myself so lucky to have been offered the job and I studied hard for it. As stayclassy said getting into schools is hard. If it's not what you really want to do you shouldn't do it.

A TA job these days, if they're doing it properly is to support teaching and learning. Being the teacher's right hand and' go to' person for all the pupils needs.

Sorry more than you asked. I just feel that if a TA isn't there because it's what they love then they are actually a damaging presence.iyswim.

I do 21 hours a week as a program manager for a private charitable foundation and find that a good compromise. Most jobs on the charity sector get advertised in the guardian if you're interested.

Admin assistant for the council. They have all sorts of family friendly policies that basically mean I can pick my hours.

I don't earn much but I do save on childcare.

I work FT and I'm a single parent. I do the morning school run and get to work for 9.30. The school is close to home so we can walk there and then I walk back, pick up coffee and the car and drive to work. When DD2 goes to nursery I will be able to drop them both off. It's really great and I love it.

I have CM for DD2. DD1 goes to an after school play group and I pick them both up after work.

My work is fairly close to home which is a huge help (though if the traffic goes mad as it's want to do I could be an hour or more away - usually it's OK).

I work in an office.

Onlyconnect I think that if you are determined to make the job fit round your children you can. I am in school from 7am until 6pm, 4 days a week and one day a week I leave on the bell.

We have quite a few teachers who arrive at 8:30 and leave close to the bell , no one thinks any the less of them .

Website editing/coding. Boring, lonely and bad for the eyes though . You also need to keep IT up to date and have access to broadband when on holiday in case something needs fixing.

Accounts work - most small businesses/charities don't need a full time accountant. Requires some aptitude and training though.

Freelance grant fundraising - if you're any good at it, clients let you do it how and when you want.

Online tutoring or exam paper marking (teaching experience obviously helpful).

You do need to have a quiet space at home to work, reliable IT and to be a self-starter who doesn't mind chasing payments. You would also have to start doing a tax return and paying self-employed NI if you don't already.

The downside for me was the loneliness.

Night shifts in a residential home 9pm to 7am 3 nights per week.

childminding is a great business but you would need to take your dd into your numbers until the end if her 5th birthday.

I had 4 a day and its very well paid BUT also invasive and hard work. be prepared to put dd last as well.😂

I now work as a TA which is great but crap money.

no easy solution.

I'm a secondary school science teacher so fits really well with school hours (!) but I'm due in January with baby number 1. Not sure when I'm going to go back to school after mini-me is born, so not sure how I'm going to cope then! I have a friend who says she'll help out a lot with childcare, and my horses etc. so that should really help but we'll see how it goes!

DH is a librarian - another of those things where you need to qualify to change your job, sorry. He finished at 2.30 every afternoon, and only works 3 days. He started off full time but works at a university who are flexible with regards to reducing hours / going part time.

Freelance writing/editing/proofreading which I can do from home. Freelancing is the best solution IMO, and it's very much worth developing something you can do from home.

Only downside is because you are around at home, you do end up being kind of a SAHM as well, however much work you have on, as you are the one who's in to deal with the plumber/attend school events/chuck a wash on etc. But I love not having to deal with a boss and managing my own hours.

Part time postie

I work in a call centre for the NHS so I have good pay and conditions but my hours are anti-social - I work bank holidays and either Christmas/new year.

The extra money comes in very handy though

Another TA who loves her job. I originally trained as a nursery-nurse, but have also worked in other sectors. I was a SAHM for 15 years and volunteered in DCs school a lot.

When DC were very young I also looked after a friend of a friend's rental houses, which meant I could choose hours to suit, but was horrible in a variety of ways.

I work in special school, and originally went on their supply register and the LA's supply register. The holidays are great, however despite working just up the road I would need before and after school clubs if DC were younger though.

Accounts.
9.15-3.00, 3 days per week.
PERFECT.

How did you get into freelance writing/editing/proofreading ubik?

I cleaned 9.30-2.30pm, incl one evening and a Sat. I only worked 2 weekdays. Previously I mainly cleaned for Universities - brilliant paid holidays.

NHS and local government have the most flexible roles. What's your background?

Dd is far from at school but I work on fast food on the night shift 3 - 4 nights a week.

No child care and despite 2 degrees and a career this fits well and will do for the next 10 years or so I guess.

If I do look for a different job it would still be night shift as we have discovered I am one of these strange people who can survive on very little sleep with a very supportive OH.

In my experience fast food day shift is also flexible for school hours and the work is not as bad as you might think!

It's funny - in our call centre there are people with no qualifications and people with MA's and MScs, people training to be police, nurses, teachers, ans lots of women who 'used to be a ...' We all do the same job.