Work full time with teens?

[HappyKoala56]

AIBU to consider a full time job with a teen and pre-teen (13 and 11)? How do other ft working parents manage with kids of these sort of ages? They are ok to stay home on their own for short times and neither are anxious with this, but it would mean 2 hours on their own after school until I get home which feels like a lot. And then what do I do in school holidays? It's a long time to be by themselves, but they don't appreciate all day clubs. I feel stuck in this middle ground of they are too old for childcare but too young for prolonged periods on their own. What does everyone do?
For context I don't HAVE to work ft, hence why I'm not sure if iabu. I have my own business and work part time currently, but I have put all career progression on hold for the past 14 years to be around for the kids and I'm eager to get back on working on myself. Do I leave it another year or 2?
YABU - stay home longer
YANBU - go get that job!

<sigh> Our food bill (excluding meals out) is just over £100 a week. We have 2 adult and 2 teens in the house. An average person therefore eats about £25 worth of food. I was guessing £5 for a toddler.

DD takes a packed lunch to school using food from the house.
Or she buys her own from the local shop (from her allowance).
The school food is apparently not that great.

This is just nitpicking though.
Even if it were £50 extra a week on food, it wouldn't make a difference to the conclusion.

Yes but protein isn't- maybe your teen DS just doesn't need to eat as much as mine. Again, context based.

Well it would as it is the idea of the overall cost and context you are operating

I think we are all well aware of how super special and unique your son is @Goldenbear

Meanwhile I am off to quit my job, move to a bedsit and I await your next suggestion which will surely be that toddlers can actually earn money up chimneys

In. If his peer group and therefore friends have similar expenses with similar choices of socialising which is not lavish by any means, he will not have those friendships or the same opportunities and for us that includes uni, it is not discretionary!

Chip on shoulder- s

If you cannt

sheepdogdelight

Howon earth do you manage £100 pw for 2 adults and 2 teens if they take packed lunches as well ? I am truly boggled.

We are all veggi and don't buy alcohol, I can't get it below £120 and my DCs buy lunch outside of that.

Do cheap stuff with toddlers then you are foolish as everyone knows they are happy with your attention and an imagination.

Stop suggesting teenagers can get by on my old Nokia from the 00s and

Youth club for a fiver that doesn't exist where I live and

These are not discretionary just as you are arguing full time childcare isn't!

I’ve just upgraded and got a new phone and intend to give my eldest my old iPhone with some only deal 100gb data, unlimited calls and texts for £12 per month. Childcare for my toddler costs 5 times that for one day

*sim only

Of course he is unique everyone is - this is why education is a non negotiable in my mind, I want my son to understand the definition of basic words before he reaches adulthood.

Mines 16 yr 12 and doesn’t buy any food at school neither do most of her peers. It’s expensive junk food. I take a packed lunch to office, she makes her own lunch each day.
Her bus fare is £64 a month.
I only worked PT when she was younger and childcare was £500 ish a month. She definitely doesn’t cost me that a month.
Plus they have own earning potential to fund extras that young children don’t have - she’s earning £8.25 an hour in a fast food job.

Good grief - my comment was hyperbolic about the Nokia.

It is not expensive junk food

At my son's school, but yes,

He will certainly spend money on junk food when socialising with friends.

Our food bill is £200 a week. I don't want my 15 year old working - where anyway? How does that pay the minimum 27000 accommodation fees for uni?

I wouldn’t buy lunch out at work, never have and used to take packed lunch to school as a teen (was my job to make packed lunch for all 4 of us) I wouldn’t see buying school lunch as an essential. It was fried chicken burgers or pasta pots at her school. I asked if 6th form canteen any better and got answer no and no one eats there unless desperate. So I’m not depriving her by expecting her to take lunch.

Guitar lessons - 120
Piano lessons 140 per 6 weeks
Spanish trip GCSE- 200 per mon

200 per month aside until Jan when we pay the 800.
200 per month for

Food

Mine didn’t work until 16 but 15 year olds can work eg local cafe waiting on. It’s good for cv and interviews to have real life experience.
We fund her phone, bus, gym, £50 allowance a month and her hobby plus most clothes. Extras I do expect her to pay for eg concert tickets. She’s still cheaper than paying childcare when younger.
At Uni then yes she’ll be back to childcare levels of contribution.

It is essential for us as it saves stress in the morning and his friends all eat in the canteen.

But at uni 'is' a teenager and we are discussing the comparative costs? Overall teenage years are longer and more costly