AIBU at husbands dramatic career change?

[Curtains77]

Hi all! Try to keep this short as genuinely cannot work out if iabu - husband has been doing same skilled professional job for 20 years an is about to be made redundant in about 3 months' time - with a lump sum. InitI ally, we were quite excited at the possibility of change , opportunity. We are both 40 this year so it seems like a great chance to just go for it and chase a dream.
This is where it goes a bit wrong - he is a dreamer , not so practical and has always beens protected if you like , by working for a big multinational and all the benefits that brings. (Think good pension, healthcare, flexible time , parental leave paid etc etc) and so I feel he is not thinking things through completely. For instance the ideas he has so far come up with are ; an oven cleaning franchise business, a pop up gin bar , a bouncy castle and inflatable hire business, buying two double decker buses and renting out for school trips ....
For my part , I am hugely risk- averse - I grew up piss-poor and I don't want that for our children . AIBU to want DH to take the safe option of consultancy work in his field his degree and skills are in which pays excellently, and work is plentiful . The downside is that it will usually working away in the week which he is really against. However, this provides financial stability now with the possibility of greater stability in the future?
He says I am too negative and anxious and I am effectively putting down every single idear he has. I think I am a realist and more practical and trying to avoid a disaster? Am I a cow ? Any replies gratefully received ...!

My husband did exactly the same with the inflatables. I wasn't sure it would work but as he is low in self esteem I told him I would support him. I had a full time job with 2 dc under 10 at the time . Two years into the business it has absolutely taken off and I work for him taking bookings. So goodluck op.

Could he be a chimney sweep? Short course. A professional body.

Encourage your DH to take a hard look at his peripheral skills and try to work out if there's something he can do that isn't a complete leap into the unknown but more of a slip sideways.

I was made redundant and initially wanted to do something completely different. In the end, I forged a new career using the 'people skills' I'd developed as a teacher - although not actually teaching.

Bumping - this is invaluable reading for me!

My advice would be to build a business around what you actually know. After all, oven cleaning or anything 'service based' would surely place a limit of lower than average salary on your earnings.

I think this is excellent advice. Changing direction but within the same general field of expertise may mean that your DH has a skills / contacts base, so he's not starting from scratch

Hi Curtains I have no further advice and comments to add to the great advice you've already had, and please ignore the more aggressive comments. You have taken feedback and criticism remarkably well and anyone still banging the 'entitled' drum has clearly not RTFT.

I do have one thing that might help enormously. I'm a coach/counsellor and there is a very good NLP technique to 'stress test' an idea without it feeding into your DH feeling like his ideas are being shot down. It's called the Disney Strategy, developed from how Walt Disney himself tested ideas (and we know how much money HE made ) and it's highly effective. I think you know that he can't just go sailing off into an idea without a business plan and an idea of costs, and this will help you work through a plan:
nlp-now.co.uk/use-disney-strategy/

FWIW career changes are what coaches are made for, he could see one for a couple of sessions.

Also to fling another idea out, I saw a programme where a couple ran a luxury cattery in their garden and it was really well paid.

Curtains I also think you have been very positive with all comments. I am sure you are a great support for your husband. Good luck for the future. I have a business idea. A website where parents can order pack lunches for their children and they are delivered to the schools.

OP even though your DH doesn't like his current job, do you think it's the work culture that he doesn't like, rather than the work itself?

This is obviously a while back, but my dad ran a research company in the 70s that eventually folded. He didn't enjoy it much because of all the politics, but afterwards he became a freelance consultant, working independently for many of the companies who originally employed his company.

He absolutely loved his work from then on and it was extremely lucrative compared to running his own business.

Best of luck - it's an uncertain but also exciting time for you both!

Oh and AnnabelC, I love that idea as I HATE making packed lunches and I'm SAHM!

Annabelc - thank you and what a fantastic idea! Really hope you get somewhere with it !! Good luck xx whatho - that is so interesting ! We have had counselling re previous issues before with CBT for his dependency issues and interestingly , it's given him great tools but it's our untereations with each other that we trip up with - am going to check out that Disney concept ! Thank you xxkaybush - that's really interesting about your dad and I am glad it turned out well. Am sure he was a bit apprehensive when the company folded , however , like gob and youhave, maybe the best course of action from here is utilising/building on his current skill set but not necessarily same industry. Great advice ! Oh yes - and what Ho I would LOVE a cattery sounds like heaven . Unfortunately DH is horribly HORRIBLY allergic to cats - to the point I have to change out of work clothes as soon as I walk through the door in case I set him off ! But I would so love a cattery

Queen ie - that's so great to hear . There has to be an element of optimism and faith. Someone said earlier on the thread that of everyone was as risk averse as me noon would ever be successful !! X and squished - ha - can't work out if that is serious ? But am loving the randomness and I reckon dh would too !

Hi op I haven't rtft sorry but as I gather you are a vet nurse and you Dh sounds interested in party planning with his inflatables, have you thought of one of those animal experience businesses like this one which has owlswww.owlsabouttown.co.uk . They also go round schools and care homes. I know a couple of businesses like this locally. I think it is partly a way for people who love the animals to make a living from their passion so I don't know how lucrative it is but just an idea to add to your files.

Trying link again www.owlsabouttown.co.uk