To think that on a low paid or minimum wage job which fits into school hours (no weekends/evenings, and holiday childcare paid), you're looking at maybe as low as around £7000 a year?

[Alondonleerie]

Haven't done the maths with specific numbers yet, based on something I was looking at a few years ago, and was wondering what ppls experiences of it is now.
Situation: parent 1 is sole carer majority of the time as parent 2 works away. No friends or family to help with childcare before/after school, sick days, or any holidays, so any work has to either for completely into school hours or next paid off in childcare costs.
Realistically, what are you looking at earning in a year, if such a job came up?

I’m a part qualified accountant which I did pre-kids.

I do a different kind of job now but still in finance. I’m more senior now than I was before kids and earn about less over three days than I did full time before kids.

I started this kind of work 10 years ago - I could’ve progressed much more quickly but I like an easy life and didn’t want to do loads of exams.

A bit less that should say.

How old are your kids?

There's no way I'd go back to being a teacher though. I have no relevant, current knowledge or experience, so I wouldn't even get a look in anyway. I hated the stress, the politics, the management. A lot of bad kids with no effective support. No confidence after being out of work.
Interestingly, a TA position I looked at a while back was such that after travel and childcare, I'd be paying (albeit only about £20/we) to work there. I'd also need to pay for a course before being able to work as a qualified TA.

Anyway, that's a different thread really. The AIBU revolved around someone thinking £7000 a year was me being a lazy mare, when I couldn't find anything else to fit in with DC. Obviously I just wasn't trying hard enough and was fooling myself!

merry I guess your accountancy background helped get the present job in finance tho?

merry primary. A good few years from getting themselves to and from school, and staying home alone.

Would you consider a Teaching assistant role? Not great pay but more than you have said and minimal childcare. Or how about a childminder?

Alternatively what about running your own business?

Yes, of course - that’s why I said it depends on qualifications.

However, with regards to your point: frankly it’s no one’s business how much you earn, how you earn it and how you arrange your life except to you and your partner.

Someone calling me lazy would be told to ‘fuck off’.

Sorry cross posted.

Don't go back to teaching OP. I admire you for giving it up. Minimum wage for a qualified teacher does seem a bit disappointing though . I don't think you are lazy but wonder if you are considering all the options

For example, I looked into purchasing a franchise this year. If successful (and I think it could well be) I would be earning around £25 per hour entirely on my own terms so would have to work 7 hrs a week to earn the salary you would earn. It's a risk but in your circumstances I would take it

I would, Janet, but would need to pay for a specific course for that, which isn't cheap, so while it's an option, it's not immediate in terms of making money. Also dont know if I'd actually get a position as practically every jobless mum I've ever known wants to do it (!), and I haven't actually seen many advertised nearby.
No to childcare, and I don't do/know anything I could make a business out of, unfortunately.

Isn't the problem with a franchise (as well as having a rather large initial outlay) that if not successful, you're not actually earning anything? I admire your enthusiasm, but I couldn't shell out loads for something which at or may not be an earner. That's why a service/admin type job is best. Thx for not thinking I'm lazy tho!

8.4k as a secondary school technician. Pretty shit given my cv and education. The joys of motherhood...

I'm a personal tutor/academic mentor in a college. Term time only, 8.30-4 (so not quite good enough for pick ups etc. but could probably be negotiated if I needed to) and I'm on £22,000

colouringinpro I get you. Feels like a complete waste of potential, doesn't it?

toomanypillows that's good :). I'm thinking you're a v intelligent person with a high degree of specialist subject knowledge tho...

I don't know that as a qualified teacher you'd need a TA course. My SIL took six years out of teaching to have kids, and has gone back first as a supply TA and then as a full time one. In another part of the country my grandmother started as a volunteer reader and is now a full time TA, the school put her through the course, and my husband has been working as a TA with no TA qualifications. So that's three different schools that don't require it, I'm pretty virtually none of the TAs at my previous school started with it either.

I'm not saying go into education if you don't want to, I'm just saying it is possible.

loanhelp thx, but I looked into it last year. I'm not in the UK, and it requires a specific qualification. Which isn't all bad, because I'm now obviously in a country with a different schooling system than the one I taught in.

I know a single parent of 3 kids who earns less than 9k a year AND works weekends and sometimes has to take her youngest daughter in if she can't get childcare, luckily they accommodate her

Have you thought about teaching online?
There's a few companies out there where you teach foreign students English via Skype. So still teaching but you do it from home in your own time without the drama and stresses of a brick school.

I did admin and LSA roles, term time only although slight overlap at start/end of day that would require some childcare, and was paid £16-18k. That was a few years ago so would be more now.

Just because you've been out of work for a while doesn't mean you start totally at the bottom! You still have skills and knowledge

ASauvignonADay I know, but I've found that if you're not going back to what you did before, there are plenty of other ppl in competition for a position who already have the required knowledge, experience, and qualifications. Transferable skills and a willingness to learn doesn't trump that. :/

Could I please ask why you are unable to source childcare before and after school from either a school club or a childminder? I
don’t have family nearby either and this is how I commute and hold down a job. ( like a lot of other employed people I know)

spirited, yes you can ask. When I looked previously, the school clubs required were oversubscribed, you had to have booked well in advance to get a place, and of course this isn't possible if starting a new job. There are few childminders locally, and again (and its not only me who has found this), you need to book in advance with ppl, but how can you give a guarantee if you are only at the applying or interview stage? It's a catch 22 when there are not enough places available for everyone.

I have already said that paying out for the childcare I did find would mean I wasn't really earning anything, based on those costs, travel costs and the wage itself.

Just because you have managed to find something in your area, doesn't mean it is available everywhere.

Honestly what do you want us to say? Yes you can expect to only earn £7000 a year if you only want to work school hours if you don't have any specific qualifications. If you want more then min wage to will have to get qualifications either on the job or from home/college then it'll open up options. I have spent the last 4 years job hopping and earning my qualifications so that now as my youngest has just started reception I have a job that pays much more than min wage which is 20 hours a week over 3 days and if I do over time it's in school hours but my kids still go into childcare after school 2 days a week for an hour. Honestly if it's what you want you make it work.

I do 28 hours a week in an office job and earn £16500

But don't get term time off.

Have you looked into working in a reception of school? Or maybe care work which is flexible with their hours?