to ask how on earth you manage to work when you have kids?

[whyareallthegoodnicknamestaken]

Currently just having a look at whats out there in terms of work as i have taken time out to have dc's so have been a SAHM for the past 6 years.
Everyone wants flexible working hours, zero hours contracts, People willing to work weekends..
Dh is away for work quite a lot and works odd hours, I have no one to drop off or pick up dc's from school. Paying for breakfast club and after school club every day isn't cheap..
How on earth do people juggle it? Genuine question. I have no idea how I'm ever going to b a able to get a job.

I'm the same as Jaded. My DH works away. I work full time as a TA. It's doable but needs organising and planning.

In some ways boozy I think being a lone parent is easier than having the sort of bloke to contend with who thinks his job is more important than yours. At least you don't have additional washing to do, shirts to iron, cooking, cleaning and tidying after another person etc. If this isn't the reality for the op there are still blokes like this even in 2015.

My DP is a sahd

I'm a lone parent and I work 4 days a week full days in quite a stressful management level job. I have no family anywhere near and xh often works abroad. It is possible. I am as organised as I can be, but basically have no time at all to myself mon-thurs and try to relax at weekends.

I have a 45 min commute each way, use breakfast and after school clubs and tax credits help with the costs there. I would be far worse off financially if I moved in with dp so we're waiting until the dcs are a bit older and we lose that cost.

I'm usually out of the house by 730 and home just after 5. The dcs do a couple of clubs a week. Holidays are shared between me, xh and holiday club. It is very tough but I'm far happier working. I originally took the job on a full time basis, worked my arse off and applied for reduced hours after my probation ended, which I got. I would have gone under if I'd stayed full time.

And obviously there are times that either parent can't be available, I have to travel for work and if I'm the other side of the country (although I dont have to go to oil rigs ) I can't pick up either. But it's about looking at your schedule and stepping up when you can.

I have worked and taken 100% of the parenting responsibilities for years as I am a single parent and my ex has a job which involves a lot of travel.. I used to have au pairs, but the responsibility and juggling did make my head explode at times.

Now my DC are older it is much easier. but I am very lucky. I have a highly paid specialist consultancy job and I work mostly from home.

Atm DH is unable to go any childcare because he has a long commute so out if the house for 12 hours. I use before and after school club and don't have to work most school holidays.

DH and I couldn't both work long hours and us all stay sane.

Pay a childminder, neither dc at school yet. If they are sick dh and I look at our day and see which of us can wfh that day. Luckily we both have the facility to do that. I do 3 days dh is ft. I mostly do the pick ups and drop offs as while we both work the same office hours I only have a 15 min commute but dh's is an hour, so no point in paying for childcare we don't need. Dh will drop off or pick up if I can't for whatever reason though.

I work ft Mon -Fri. Drop dd (4) at cm at 730 and pick up at 530. At £23 a day its not cheap but no option! I do 4/5 drop offs and 3/5 pick ups, Dhaka does the others.

But work k is great for you as gives you independence, peace, adultcompany, is rewarding Tec so. Do try and do it!!

We both work full time. Ds is at preschool which is at a nursery so open all day. We pay for full time although usually he's there 3/4 days.
I work weekends,dh works Monday-Friday. We have very little time as a family.

Single parent here. I work 27.5 hrs week. Ex h doesn't help with childcare at all - and didn't whdn we were married - always my responsibility even though I earn the same as him pro-rata.

It is doable because you have to. I have no choice. Whdn children are sick it is my responsibility.

I'm not sure if it is easier as single parent because I don't have to wash s mans shirts etc! I have to deal with everything ie car breaking down, boiler packing up etc etc. Occasionally it would be nice to have another adult help make a decision.

Childminder then breakfast club then school then after school then childminder again.

One and a half hour comment each way to work Mon - Fri 9-6. It's exhausting and mind numbingly expensive.

DH's shifts and my compressed hours mean that one of us is often home all day. On the days when we do both work, we are both out of the house for over 12 hours each. I have a friend who does the school drop offs for me. Children then do after-school club and are collected by Grandma for the hour or so from club closing to DH getting home. Holidays we use a mixture of annual leave, holiday club, sharing childcare with friends, and Grandma.

Do you have any local friends who'd have your children occasionally in exchange for you having theirs?

We use afterschool clubs and holiday clubs. I start at 9.15 so drop DC3 in the playground at 8.30ish and head off to work. The older 2 are teens now, and obviously fend for themselves.

When they were younger we paid through the nose for a variety of nursery/afterschool/holiday clubs. No other option - whilst it was expensive at the time it meant that I continued working, with all the benefits that brings.

I work 3 days per week but have a 3 hour daily commute so my days are long! A mix of nursery, grandparents & DH days off. I have a childcare rosta 3 months in advance. Nursery & DH days off cover some then I ask if grandparents can fill in any blanks. We are lucky as they are very accommodating plus if I give enough notice sometimes nursery can squeeze me in at short notice.
I have to leave work at 5 to pick LO up but I do log in in the evenings to check in. My employer is family friendly so if I need to work from home there isn't a huge issue, plus we are a small team.

I work 3 days a week. Dd1 is in school + after school club 3 days a week. Dd2 is in nursery. 3 days a week. It is not cheap.

Dh goes away fairly frequently, but when he's here, he sorts Dd1 out for school and takes her their, I sort out Dd2. I generally do pick-ups, but he will too, as and when needed. If one is sick, we will both look at our schedules and see who can be off.

It's not always easy and if I didn't enjoy my job, I wouldn't do it.

I retrained so I could work from home until the youngest was in Junior school. Now I'm retraining again for a 'proper' job .

If you really want to work, you'll find a way. It's tricky, not impossible.

Oh and holidays are mix of playschemes and childminders and willing family.

Both work FT here. We basically have to be VERY organised.

DP does drop-off and I do pick-up from afterschool CM about 5.30pm. We both work c. 10 minutes from CM/school which is a massive help.

Any crap-ups are difficult. Like DP forgot an important 9am meeting tomorrow and I can't cover. We've had days when DC is off sick and we've done 1 1/2 HR shifts as the other speeds back to work for a meeting. No family to help.

Oh yeah - school holidays! A mix of annual leave and day nursery.

OP, Everyone I know who made this a success (not me so far!) have:

• started with the job, then fit the children and childcare around it, using family/nannies/random babysitters on odd days/next door's teenager/friendly neighbour/clubs/child-swap days with other working parents etc.

If you start with the kids and school hours and terms, and see what job fits in you are very very limited.

DH is an SAHP, and we only have one child. We just didn't have the mental, physical, financial or health resources to have more. If dh is too ill to cope, I stay at home.