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 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

And? It’s what plenty of parents do, temporarily...either until childcare costs lessen as dc get older or until you work your way up somewhere so your earnings increase.

If you want an honest opinion op, here’s mine - you sound like a bit of a drip.

You’ve knocked back every single suggestion as to what you could do or how you could do it. You couldn’t possibly do X or train as X, you can’t possibly find childcare bla bla bla.

There’s plenty you could do and try. But no one will do it for you.

I work term time, earning £13k net before factoring in childcare costs.

I work very part time, only earn around £600 a month I just do 9 hours a week though)

For me the savings on childcare though balance it out at the moment - 4 children (one full time nursery place would be over £1.2k a month minimum and then 3 in school - before and after school care is £140 a week each so another 1.2k plus cost of holiday camps etc probably would be looking at £1.4k a month so 2.6k in total plus my £600 earnings I would need to be clearing £3k to break even and the compromise on time with the children, housework etc I would probably have to have a cleaner or something to help me keep on top.

If you want an honest opinion op, here’s mine - you sound like a bit of a drip.

Says the poster that hasn't read the thread.

Op was accuses of being a 'lady who lunches' even though she works her ass off earning £7k a year. She wondered if it would be much more if she took a part time job and all the headaches that come with it. She questioned whether she is lazy or not based on that information.

I think you need to be creative. A part time term time school hours job is going to be the holy grail. There are term time jobs and there are part time jobs but it’s almost impossible to find all three.

I would look for a proper part time role which pays properly, they exist. Negotiate that you start after school drop off but you then need after school care. Advertise for an after school help, I and many of my friends have slightly older ladies with grown up kids who pick our children up from school, supervise homework and give them dinner. I pay £10 an hour. So if you worked 3 days a week and she had the children from 3-5.30 it would be £75 a week so 325 a month, no tax to pay. If you take a job which is £20k full time you would earn £12k for 3 days a week which nets £962 a month. Childcare is 325 so you still make about £640 a month.

I’m the school holidays you take a days holiday, your partner takes a days holiday and your kids go to camp one day or you ask your after school help to do extra hours.

It works out but yes, you’ll earn very little in a low paid role if you insist on doing it all without Help. The beauty of a part role is often that you can shuffle your days around to cover sickness etc

I'm an ex-nurse now a secondary school TA. I didn't need to have any specific qualifications to get the job, and I started as a supply TA.

I work 27.5 hrs per week and take home 13 (4-weekly pay) x £900. I earned £13k gross last year.

My kids are grown now and I've considered going back to nursing many times, but I really enjoy my job and I love that I leave it all behind when the bell goes.

@Alondonleerie if you were a teacher then you don’t need to qualify as a TA. Why don’t you look for some 1-1 tuition hours, or a TA position or s job share/part time teaching position! It seems a shame to disregard your training for a min wage job in an unrelated field. I know teaching in the UK is shit tbh but even part time you could earn well over 7k!!

I am a library assistant. I work 0.5 of full time spread over various shifts in the week. I take home just over £700 a month, so under £9000 p/a.

It’s crap money but I do enjoy my job and at the moment I’m unable to do more hours due to health issues with one of my DC.

I think if you want to stay home and are happy that is fine. To call you lazy is of course rude. But I clear about £7k after childcare and it's great - it's spending / holiday money. We are very lucky that it can be and I like earning money to spend on lovely things with my family. I would be bored at home as I am not good at filling time productively and just mooch about doing chores badly but if that's not you all good. Both choices are equally valid.

I earned about £700 per month after tax & NI as an additional needs classroom assistant at my kids school. I started and finished at exactly the same time as them and was paid over school holidays.

That's about my wage yep.. good job it's topped up by working tax credit etc

Have you seen the Twinkl ads for teachers? They often advertise for qualified teachers to help create resources for their website. Don't know the pay but assume it's home based.

Lone parent to 18 month old DD working 16 hours a week and I earn just over £7k per annum.

Not ideal and I hope I'd earn significantly more once I'm back at work full time but at the moment needs must.

I was a TA in a primary school, 9am-3:15 with an hour unpaid for lunch, so 26.25 hours per week. I took home just over £700 per month by the time I’d paid my pension contribution though. Lots of the women who were TAs there had their own children at the school and just dropped them off on the way to the classroom they worked in!

Honestly what do you want us to say?
Hmm, maybe an answer to the original posted q?

I have a degree in my field but earn minimum wage (early years)

I worked school hours term time before going on mat leave and brought home £799 a month.

Sorry that should have been £700 a month

I work in a salaried role two days a week - 16 hours. FTE is £29k so about £15ph. I have no family support and am a lone parent but their dad collects our daughters from after school club on my office days. I also do freelance transcription to supplement my income. I have to have the flexibility due to elder daughter’s health needs and appointments.

Some ppl also have a funny idea about how much of a benefit it is for a forces family whose main earner works away. Unless deployed, there is no extra pay. So, for eg, they could be working in a different city all week every week, also over some weekends depending on the job, for no extra pay. And when on deployment, a great deal of that is often spent by the forces partner, eating out, drinking, sightseeing (because it would be a shame to miss out on the sights while they're there ) and hotel rooms (because staying onboard in a small cabin feels like a prison, so I'm told).... So not that much benefit, certainly not enough to compensate for a parent being away for 9 months, in the eyes of the DC.

Thanks to those who have made sensible, helpful suggestions based on the information given. A lot of ppl just seem to like pointing out that if they can do it, anyone can... Or haven't actually taken onboard what I said - as stated, I am in a different country, with DC in primary school, in an unfamiliar education system, and on doing some research, found I would need to have a certain certificate in order to be a TA, so there's no point telling me you don't need one in the UK /Ireland... When in the UK, a TA position I considered would not have paid, after taking travel and childcare out. That was a little while back.

Apologies if I hadn't answered any other q, I haven't read to the end, as the thread seems to have moved off somewhat from the original q.

How about working as a Cover Supervisor? Term time only, school hours, teaching experience would give you a strong background. None of the stress of teaching, salary around £11-12K? www.skillsforschools.org.uk/roles-in-schools/cover-supervisor

Sorry didn't realise you were in a different country - my last post may not be v helpful then

Ok, so looking at your original question. Yes, a low paid job that fitted round school hours might only earn around 7k

(A degree qualified person might be expected to aim a little higher and think a little creatively, but if you are determined to just have your original question answered, then there you go)

@Alondonleerie would you be willing/able to tell us what country you are in? Maybe SOMEONE on here is there too and may know more and be more helpful to you?

I worked agency for 5 hours a day, and did virtually no holidays. I,ve worked it out at £7,800

It would have been helpful for the detail in your last post to have been in the first!