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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Perfect job around DC

50 replies

BrilliantBetty · 20/09/2021 10:01

AIBU to ask, If you have a job that works perfectly for you around your childcare responsibilities, school run etc. What is it?

I'd love to know if there are some jobs out there that actually fit in around school hours.

Going back to the office for me has been a reality check. I am so stressed and worried all the time. Mostly about childcare arrangements. I just want to be there for my kids, while not giving up work entirely.

OP posts:

WaterBottle123 · 20/09/2021 12:22

The solution is not the job, it's making your partner do his half. Actual half. Including switching ro flexible hours.

BikeRunSki · 20/09/2021 12:25

Yep, civil service…

WoozySnoozy · 20/09/2021 12:25

@thismeansnothing

I work nights in a supermarket 10-8am. Works great around DH, and kids

That's a good idea!

DistantSkye · 20/09/2021 12:33

I think it's a combination of things really. I feel like my set up is good but I also have a partner who does his share of drop offs/pick ups/time off plus neither of us live far from work (around a 20/30 minute walk or a short cycle). I'm a teacher and I work 3 days a week. I was full time after DC1 but then went part time after DC2. I do use breakfast and after school club, and nursery while they were small. I tend to leave work early when I can to be home in time for dinner/activities/bedtime and then catch up on work and marking after they're in bed if I need to. I'm around in the school holidays which is great.
My partner works full time and again, catches up on extra stuff in the evenings.

So for me, teaching works but is helped by the fact that I have a flexible/helpful partner and no commute.

CatFaceCats · 20/09/2021 12:37

I was extremely lucky to find a job after 10 years of being a SAHM. I work in research finance for a university. I do Mon-thurs 8-12:30 from home. But going back to the office 2 days from next month. My hours will be 9:45 - 2:15 which will give me time to drop kids in the morning, and collect after school. But my work is flexible. Not that I can randomly change hours with no notice constantly, but enough that with notice I could jiggle them around a bit. They are big on supporting families and work/life balance.
I am single mum, and although it’s part time and I’m at the bottom of the ladder at the moment, I’m hoping to work my way up, and once the kids are in academy to be able to work more hours (so the kids can have a key, and I’m not paying childcare!)
For holiday care, their dad helps, I take hols and a few days with grandparents. Luckily, I don’t really need childcare on wfh days as they are 9 and 10 so are more than capable of entertaining themselves if I’m wfh.

MaizeBlouse · 20/09/2021 12:39

I'm self employed as a voiceover artist. I wfh mostly in my own studio and didnt take maternity after I had kids. Totally flexible and great earning potential but takes a lot of graft and you have to be good at it (it's one of those jobs everyone thinks they can do cos they have a "nice voice"). Downsides are everything is last minute and short turnaround, can be lonely and also you have to do all the financial stuff too which always makes my head hurt

LittleMysSister · 20/09/2021 12:41

Not me, but when I was young my mum used to work for the council driving a minibus which transported children/disabled adults. Her hours were 11-1, term time only.

Not a lot of money obviously but it worked perfectly for her when it came to looking after us.

ShowOfHands · 20/09/2021 12:50

I'm a family practitioner working 9-3 Monday to Friday. I have shifted my contract around to do term time only and I'm also wfh 85% of the time.

BlueMoons90 · 20/09/2021 12:59

When I worked, I was a teacher. DS attended my school, so bought him in with me in a morning and he would go to breakfast club, then in an evening he would go to either the after school club, or my parents would collect him. School holidays obviously sorted themselves out because I was off too - on inset days he would go to my parents.

Suzi888 · 20/09/2021 12:59

Local authority? I work around 20 hours as a Housing Manager. Work various hours between 7-7.

ChimChimeny · 20/09/2021 13:03

My hours are 4 days 8-2 so I can pick DD up from school everyday but I worked for the company for nearly 10 years before maternity leave, so I had more clout asking for part time hours.

Unless you work in a school you'll always need childcare for holidays. I have it agreed as part of my flexible working agreement that I can work 3 long days to make the holidays more manageable.

Your best bet is surely getting the hours you want with your current company

Wisteriac43 · 20/09/2021 13:04

When people say 'civil service' - is that available on most civil service jobs? I've just looked at roles in my area and they are very varied. What roles should I specifically look at?

RevolutionRadio · 20/09/2021 13:07

When I worked in retail there was a queue of people wanting the 10 - 2 shift, the people whose children had grown older also didn't want to give those hours up to work longer hours or more unsociable hours.

They would also still need childcare for holidays, still had to work usual days over Christmas and it's not great pay.

APurpleSquirrel · 20/09/2021 13:08

I work for a very small, niche publisher in a marketing role. Started out full-time & went part-time when I had DC, down to 3 days a week. My boss is super supportive & flexible. Since the pandemic, we've moved to permanent wfh which means I can do drop offs & pick ups, with DH doing some when needed.
DH works for civil service & is also wfh permanently now too; so he can flex his hours to help with school run & taking Dc to groups etc & then picks up the hours in the evening.
Holidays I have two days off anyway; DH uses some of his annual leave & PIL help too; though once Dc are old enough we are going to use some holiday clubs too.
It's a juggling act but works for us for now.

OatBasedVanillaMacchiato · 20/09/2021 14:08

I work in an NHS primary care mental health team as a therapist. It's the best job/employer I've ever had tbh. I work three days per week, set my own hours pretty much, can work flexibly and from home most of the time (it used to be in person but since the pandemic lots of the work has been from home). Really well paid (£40k full time), lots of autonomy, never take work home or worry about it outside of my hours. Perfect balance for us.

Wejustdontknow · 20/09/2021 14:37

I spent 6 years as a stay at home mum after ds1 was born but when he started school I went to work in retail, I worked for next unpacking the delivery in the stockroom 10-2 which fit perfectly with school. I then moved to a supermarket and worked nights so we never needed childcare but didn’t see much of dp. I’m still at the supermarket now but have switched to days and do 5am-2pm. Dp does the morning school run and I’m always home for pick up. The wages are low but we are lucky to live in a cheap area and have relatively low outgoings but I am now also at uni as personally couldn’t see myself staying doing retail for another 30-40 years until retirement but it really does fit in well with family life and I have no responsibility so when I walk out I don’t think about work again until I next walk back in

Oldmrswasherwoman · 20/09/2021 15:14

@Wisteriac43

When people say 'civil service' - is that available on most civil service jobs? I've just looked at roles in my area and they are very varied. What roles should I specifically look at?

Its role/team dependent but I'd say most non customer facing or roles that aren't dependent on being available certain hours (IT, phone lines etc) will have a greater or lesser degree of flexibility.

Soubriquet · 20/09/2021 15:33

I’m an online shopper

I work 4-8am which means I’m home during the day time when dh works.

Works perfectly for us. Took a while for me to get used to the early mornings but It’s ok now

Stompythedinosaur · 20/09/2021 15:37

My job works perfectly for me (senior nurse and therapist) because I am almost completely in charge of my own diary.

But I had to do years of inconvenient jobs to get there.

qualitygirl · 20/09/2021 15:41

Myself and dh both have flexi Time so we can do either drop off or collection. We have plenty of holidays too so generally it works out fine for us. As a pp said it's not just up to the mum to sort it out, dh's need to step up too!!

Wisteriac43 · 20/09/2021 15:46

@OatBasedVanillaMacchiato I hope you don't me asking - what training do you have? For a while I looked at doing a psychology conversion degree but there are so many 'counselling' pasths to go down

Annabel7 · 20/09/2021 15:47

I retrained and set up my own digital marketing business so I work for myself from home. I don't have a school run anymore so pretty much work from 8.30/9 - 3.30. If I need to duck out, I just do it and sometimes catch up some work that doesn't need 100% attention when the kids are home.

I earn more than I used to, with no-one by myself to answer to. Bliss but took me a long while to work out what to do and had a chunk of time off when the kids were little.

Greyingmumto3 · 20/09/2021 15:56

I work 10- 2 in a school kitchen , term time only .

OatBasedVanillaMacchiato · 20/09/2021 17:05

[quote Wisteriac43]@OatBasedVanillaMacchiato I hope you don't me asking - what training do you have? For a while I looked at doing a psychology conversion degree but there are so many 'counselling' pasths to go down[/quote]
I have a masters in social work (and an undergrad degree in the arts), and a postgrad diploma in CBT. I also have level three in counselling skills but that’s not related to getting my job.

A counsellor is employed at band 5, CBT at band 7. But you can become a counsellor with less lengthy training. To qualify as a CBT therapist at the university I studied at requires having a core profession before the CBT training (MH nursing, social work or occupational health). You can do a counselling qualification in a three year degree or through a series of night classes. I believe you need level four or five to be employed as a counsellor.

IMO CBT is more future proof, it’s better paid, a lot of NHS services are taking on more CBT therapists and letting go of counsellors.

You could become a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner with an undergrad degree and a one year postgrad diploma. Many IAPT services will fund your training to become an CBT or PWP if you have a psych degree or core profession, though it’s very competitive!

DressedUpAtAnIvy · 21/09/2021 10:09

If you have children later and can develop your career first, IMO the most flexible job is freelancing part time. You need to be well established in a niche so that what you can earn part-time is well above the average full-time salary. The field also shouldn’t be too time critical and it should be realistic to get a day or two ahead so that you never have to worry about someone being off school sick.

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