To stop work

[hurtingbackachingheart]

I can never make my mind up, so quick thread to get other views.

Pros are, I like my job, it's school hours, it's worthwhile and it pays reasonably well.

Cons. Oh, the cons.

I'm not making a huge amount. In fact I make barely anything, due to nursery costs. This will change obviously.
I have other things I want to do ... I have got really into some voluntary work, and I could help out more there, I want to do some more voluntary work with animals but don't have time.
The house is a mess.
I have another interest I want to develop but really don't have time.

Any thoughts? I made a vague enquiring about PT but was essentially told NO.

DH thinks it would all be smoother if someone was at home

Do you mean he thinks it'll be smoother for him if someone (you) is at home? Where is he in all of this?

This is all about sexism. Get a totally full time job and then force your husband to take on his full share of stuff or hire an au pair or child minder to do school collection and you get out there and earn more than your husband. I earned 10x mine and it rocks!

Jobs that can be done within school hours are incredibly valuable. It won't be long before your dd is at school and then you won't be paying any childcare, and youll still be able to have all the time with her around her school hours.
Id keep it without a doubt.

I agree with the school hours but, if you continue when they start school they will be more independant and it will be easier, so you would have more time in future. And, you won't have to pay for the nursery either...

school hours bit, I meant

how about going online and finding some time management and planning techniques.

You sound like you could put a lot more into the hours you have available, but maybe need to chunk things up and set some priorities?

How much more free time would it actually get you though? If your dc are in nursery now, then if you become a SAHM then you will have to take care of them in the time they would have been in nursery? If you kept nursery and stopped work it would make for some extremely expensive volunteering. Is the volunteering something that could lead to a job?

Finishing at 3 every day is amazing. You do have a lot of spare time. I would not leave without another job to go to. Too risky imo.

it sounds so perfect once DD is at school though, and no childcare costs then.

Voluntary work sounds lovely but is it worth compromising your earning potential for at this point in your life? That sounds a bit like the tail wagging the dog. There will always be worthwhile voluntary work to be done when you have the time.

Stay in your job. Work fills the time available for it. If you've only got 10 minutes you'll get loads done, if you've got all day, it will take all day.

If you gave up your paid job then how would nursery be funded so you could volunteer and do all these lovely hobbies you have, walk the dog, do all the cooking and cleaning etc?
If your dh would pay the fees then it's not correct to say you work for very little. But then why does childcare only come from you and not joint money?

That's not very many actual hours in work, there should be plenty of time to do house stuff as well as have down time with the family. It sounds like you are just using it as an excuse to not work TBH.

Definitely keep the job as school hours jobs are like gold dust. Then in what one or two years child will be at school and no nursery fees. That will give you a lot more cash, and you could afford to do one day a week after school club and use that time to volunteer.

It's true about the tail wagging the dog, but I would be upset if I had to stop volunteering.

You like the job and essentially those are part time hours which would usually be difficult to get. I'd not be considering leaving if your long term security means anything to you.

I think you'd be insane to quit. You have really good hours, with school holidays, which is invaluable. You'd be giving up your financial independence to make your DH's life easier - I'm sure he's a good guy but no-one should be complacent that life will always be rosy. And if you're used to being busy then I think after a few months of SAHM-dom you'd be bored witless, especially once the DC in nursery is school-age.

Boo, I wanted everyone to tell me to quit ...

I don't see why you want to stop working if you're still going to put your kids in nursery - you wouldn't be spending more time with them, and would still have to pay for the nursery fees.

They wouldn't be in nursery full time, maybe 3 mornings a week.

Bloody hell, I have all the same stuff to do every day too but am out 6.30-5 for work first! I'd kill for hours like yours!

I'm sure you would, but everyone's different aren't they :)

"I make barely anything, due to nursery costs."
You make barely anything, for the short period of time that childcare costs apply. They won't be forever. Meanwhile, you accrue pension, seniority, experience, career progression. If you leave work, all that comes to a sharp stop. Even if you go back after a few years, that broken pensions contributions never recovers (similar to the wonders of compound interest!) and your career progression may never recover. It sucks, and it shouldn't be that way - but it is. So you don't just lose the salary you're taking home right now, you also lose future higher salary and future pension.

By all means leave work. But before you do, work out what you are actually sacrificing, because it's a hell of a lot more than a couple of year's salary .

Why is that the case with the pensions contribution? Genuine Q, obviously.