to considering working full-time simply to have a cleaner?

[Unmissable]

ATM, I work very p-t, term-time only.

I might have to opportunity to work f-t, a promotion, more interesting job but much longer hours. Close to home and I'm hoping I can negotiate an early start, so still be home by c. 5pm.

Dc are secondary age now, so whilst they don't need me there when they get home for practical reasons, I am finding that they do "need" you more as they get older. i.e. when they were small Grandma was very nearly as good as mum or dad, but not so much as they get older. They don't need you often and they wouldn't admit it but when they do need you, they need you iyswim.

Anyway, although the job itself does appeal to me, the main reason I'm considering it, is because it would enable us to have a cleaner. I've been keeping house in one form or another for 20+ years and I've had enough. I enjoyed it (kind of) for maybe the first 15 years but now find the whole thing boring, unrewarding and frustrating, with the whole it needs doing again as soon as it's done cycle. It's not about DH doing more, he has always done his bit, 50/50 before Dc when we were both working ft, but I like the fact he doesn't have to do much these days while I have the time - it means the weekends are our own.

We don't need the money as such. Obviously a bit more is always nice, but we have no ambitions to move house, mortgage is repaid and we have some savings. It would be for things like better holidays or a better car, rather than the first ever family holiday. And a cleaner.

So, WIBU, to take on more work, be away from DC more, just so I don't have to clean? After tax and travel expenses, I wouldn't be earning much more, per hour, than I'd be paying the cleaner.

sounds reasonable to me. I love my cleaner. And it's a promotion for you.

If it would make you happy and is perfectly possible, then why wouldn't you?

It seems that it would only bring positives (and the job appeals to you which is really great!). DC are secondary school so it's not like they 'need' you, and it's a great opportunity for you to do something for yourself.

You should definitely go for it (and enjoy someone else cleaning the house).

And the wonderful thing is that because you could do without working, if you really hate it you can always change your mind.

It seems to me that there are several good reasons in your post. Go for it.

In your position I might go for a cleaner coming in a couple of times a week - really invest in preserving that family time at the weekend.

Disclaimer: I don't have teenagers and went to boarding school myself. The idea of them 'needing' you so much that you could only work very PT doesn't really compute for me, but that might be my lack of understanding.

It seems that you have plenty of reasons to go back to work. To hate housework is as good as any other. Go for it.

There's nothing ever remotely unreasonable about wanting a job! But unless you're thinking of hiring someone for vast swathes of time - a housekeeper rather than a cleaner - surely you don't need to work full-time to fund it or to justify not doing housework? Our cleaner costs £30 a week, and we would have her come to clean whatever our work circumstances, finances permitting.

That's true RatMort, but the opportunity I have now is a full-time job. I'm hoping I might be able to negotiate some extra time in the holidays, but they want more or less full-time hours. So, ATM, my choice is stick with my very p-t job and do the cleaning myself, or work ft.

I've had a cleaner continuously for the last twelve years. This covers the time when DH and I both worked full time pre DC, when I've been on maternity leave each time, and now that I work part time. It makes an enormous dofference to us. She works 6 hours a week, and irons and cleans in that time.

There are still jobs to do at the weekend (laundry is never ending), maintenance, spring cleaning, sorting etc. but the day to day cleaning is all sorted and I love it.

There are many things that I would sacrifice before our cleaner and I know how lucky we are to have such a reliable and trustworthy one. Our current one has been with us for nearly seven years.

But having a cleaner or not is a minor thing in the grand scheme of things. You can get a cleaner for a few hours per week.

Question is: do you want to work ft?

Yes, Nolim. The issue is surely whether or not you want a full-time job, OP, not who does the housework?

Isn't the point of working more and therefore getting paid more so you can pay other people to do the bits you don't want to do? It makes perfect sense! I hate washing the car so I pay someone else to do it, I put aside £ and have a full valet once a month. same as.

If that situation would enhance your life more than your current situation go for it!

The reason we all earn money is primarily to pay our bills and secondly to afford the things we want in life, if you can afford it and it doesn't harm others - have it, that applies to anything really.

Go for it. My cleaner is the best money I spend. And the work sounds more interesting and a promotion.

You'll still be home by 5pm. A lot of people aren't home until 7pm, 8pm or later.

Sounds great to me.

I know what you mean about your children needing you, but they need a happy, fulfilled and relaxed parent too.

You sound like you are comfortably off so why not just get a cleaner and carry on working part time?

Go for it! As your children are teenagers, maybe it's time for you to move on professionally! I HATE cleaning, it is soul-destroying!

I work FT, have a cleaner once a week for 5 hours and two small children. If I were comfortably off and had 10-12 weeks off a year [school holidays] then a cleaner wouldn't swing it for me personally.

The cleaner won't tidy up all the crap and detritus that family leave around, they don't do the online food shopping or unpack it [unless they are in a few times a week], they might do laundry when they are in but it will still be mounting up for the remaining 6 days. They tend not to wash the windows, do anything that involves standing on a stool/ladder and usually don't have the time to do the big jobs like cleaning the oven.

An hourly take home rate that simply covers the cost of the cleaner is neither here nor there if it's something you don't want to do; but unless you really want the job for yourself, for your personal gratification then I'd think about it quite carefully.

YANBU in principle - I hate cleaning too. But to give up a job with so much flexibility just to afford 5-10 hours of cleaning per week seems a bit of an over-reaction to a bad day yesterday

If the job is something you'd love to do then take the job. If it's all about getting a cleaner then just get a cleaner anyway! You don't have to work full time to justify having a cleaner - if you can afford one then get one regardless.
I work 3 days a week and we have a cleaner round for 4 hours a week. It's bliss, worth every penny!