Currently on mat leave with DC2 and due to return in September when they will be 7 months old.
DC1 started at a childminders in Jan 2020 and I returned to work 2.5 days per week. When lockdown happened, the childminder closed and I worked from home, so DC was at home with me until Sept 2020 when they started nursery full time (I returned to work 5 days per week). DC was 20 months old at this point.
I really really don’t want to leave my baby and go back to work 5 days per week 🙁 I don’t have the option of cutting down to part time at my current work place. I keep trying to tell myself that it will be fine as I’ve done it before with DC1, but it was different that time because I was only working part time and they ended up being at home with me until they were nearly 2! We will be relying on UC to pay our childcare bills come September (approx. £1100 per month) because we literally can’t make ends meet otherwise. I don’t know what to do. I’m considering leaving my current job and getting an evening job instead so I can be at home with my DC but I don’t know if that is realistic long term. What have other people done in this situation? DH and I are both low earners so can’t afford for one of us not to work. Any advice welcome 🙁