AIBU to ask whether sacrificing a fulfilling career is worth it if it fits around childcare?

[fjsoaar]

I currently work part time to fit around school pick ups and drop offs in a NHS admin role. The hours suit the needs of my family, and the pay and pension are good. My quandary is that I am so unfulfilled and bored doing this area of work. I want to do something I enjoy doing , although not sure that exists. I successfully applied and was due to start University to do nursing this September but withdrew out of guilt about leaving the children and having to rely on family / school clubs to replace me picking them up.

Should I just accept the positives I have of working in a lacklustre job , or is there roles out there that still fit around school hours?

I retrained over lockdown, studying for a degree on Zoom. It was stressful with the home learning for our kids and hubby working from home, but it's been worth it! I'm now able to work for myself, choose my own days/hours, set my own hourly rate, and still have time for my family.
Is there a possibility you could train online, or through open university, to get the qualification you were wanting?
Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

How about waiting until your youngest goes to high school ? Or sod it and take the place anyway ! The world won’t stop just because you are following a dream 😉

I think there's an inbetween. Nursing - and shift work in general - does not sound very compatible with childcare. So I can see why you would be worried about that. But that doesn't mean there aren't any other options than an admin role.

Do you have a partner? If so, why is fitting a job around childcare only your responsibility?

There's nothing at all to feel guilty about using school clubs etc nothing at all. You are allowed to still be a person after having children and have your own aspirations and goals.

I love my career but it does mean that my baby is in full time nursery and we will have to use school clubs when he's older. I don't feel guilty about that.

I should of said my job now is as a counsellor. Maybe that's an area you could look into as it's a bit more flexible than nursing but still a caring profession and very valuable role.

Go to uni, used paid childcare for social hours and family for unsocial hours, u get help with childcare on nhs courses, a childminder will be able to help u.

Go to uni! A fulfilling career is worth childcare and inconvenience.

This sounds interesting! Can I ask what you studied?

I am a SAHM to my 3 DC and I'm so glad I did, if it's possible financially then I think it's worth doing.

@pickd sorry just seen your reply thank you so much

Thank you all for your lovely and helpful replies. I am definitely going to look into open university or online courses. It was actually mental health nursing I was due to start at university so counselling sounds very viable. In terms of my husband he works full time but does work early and finishes early one day a week to accommodate school pick ups. I love doing the school pick ups but look daily on Indeed but seem to get no inspiration.

This is really not something I've come to feel because of having a child - I had other reasons.

But there's no such thing as "one career". I had a career between 21-32. 32-34 I had a job, whilst I retrained. When I come back from mat leave, I'll have a different career.

I don't think it's helpful to think in terms of your career as a single line and trajectory. And for what it's worth, recruiters LOVE that spiel too!

Has anyone retrained doing an online course around children?

Can you not apply for more interesting stuff in the NHS, service improvement, project support etc? It seems like an easier solution whilst your kids are small.

I worked full-time until I had my first, continued and used a childminder until I had my second and then went back to work part-time (university admin) when my youngest started school. My hours gradually increased until I was working full-time in good time to support them through university. My work has been interesting. It's not in an area I'd anticipated I'd be working in, but I had transferable skills and I've enjoyed immensely working with young people.

So, two points - you don't know what work/career is around the corner, and despite the impact on my "career path", I wouldn't change anything about being a SAHM for six years and initially working part-time thereafter. These were precious times.