To have grass is greener about

[issyisbusy]

Careers?

I enjoy work. I have a degree in a random subject that doesn’t directly lead to any career and have been fortunate to find myself in a very good role working for our local authority. The team is great, the flexibility is brilliant- I can work from home a bit, book annual leave pretty much when I want, I mostly manage my own workload. The salary is decent enough for me but maybe on the low side for some people, about the UK average. The thing is, I wouldn’t say I am particularly challenged. I like the idea of using my brain more at work but on the other hand don’t know if the reality of it would be as appealing!

I am only in my 20s but I am married with a very young DC. With my current qualifications I’d struggle to get into anything else with the same pay and flexibility, so I’d have to retrain which is money, time and energy that I’m not sure I have spare. I’m pretty sure we want another child at some point and I won’t want to work all the hours under the sun until both are in school at least. I just don’t want to stagnate in the same place because of my circumstances though.

Is the grass just greener? Does everyone have this kind of wobble?

I think at various times we all look at people we know and think there is something about their life or their job that is appealing, yes.
We see the bits we are envious of and not necessarily register the bits that they consider are the down sides of their jobs.

Its never too late to change career's. I've gone from carer, to beauty therapist and now I'm training to be a dental nurse.

I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. The hours suit me better with children and they're training me on the job to get my qualifications.

The grass is greener for me, so it could be greener for you too 😊

I'd suggest nothing lasts forever and life goes in phases, at your point in life you might just want to enjoy what you've got, given you want another child and want flexibility around bringing them up and not working loads. It's never too late to retrain, my children are now 9 and 7, I have recently begun working for myself which gives greater flexibility but also it's hard work. My plan when they're teenagers is to look at a law conversion course and retrain, as like you I want to use my brain more. Nothings set in stone, and i think when you have small children it feels like they last forever, but it's actually 10 to 15 years of needing to be flexible, wanting to be available to them for pick ups and sports days and nativities. Personally, I'd relax, you're in your 20s, by the time you're early 40s you'll probably be done with the smaller children phase and have different priorities which will create different opportunities for you. You won't stagnate, keep using your brain in different ways, read, stay curious in the world and it might bring ideas of what you want to do at a later date. If you end up feeling really unhappy, then of course you should look at your options, but it sounds like where you are actually fits your current phase of life quite well.