To not know how on earth I can go back to work?

[SoftAsShit]

I left my WFH job last year due to stress of childcare and I now work 10 hours a week around school times so it works well.. but I’m A) bored when I’m not working and B) money is so tight I’m unhappy and I just want to work more.

My current job doesn’t have the opportunity to work any more hours and I have no formal qualifications (except dental nursing but I would never go back into that job)

The thing is, I live in a remote area, salaries are low, jobs are sparse and I suffer with chronic anxiety so I’m a little bit picky (wouldn’t be able to do bar work/waitressing) ideally I’d like a desk job, don’t mind working with the public I just don’t want to be serving.. don’t ask why, it’s just a me thing.

and I absolutely cannot afford childcare during holidays. I could barely afford it when I was WFH and had to have them home some of the by time but the stress was too much and I ended up having a bit of a breakdown.
So I just don’t know how I can get back into work, to earn more money for the family.. whatever job I take up will mean having to arrange childcare before/after school and during holidays. I just can’t afford it.

How do people do it 😞

For reference, we aren’t entitled to any benefits, have a mortgage and some small debts that are being managed.

What about applying to be an Amazon/Evri driver where you choose your own days/hours? Can work around your other commitments.

I said flexible. I didn’t say easy.

But you would be earning more the rest of the year…

How old are your children now, just wondering how long this is potentially a problem for?

holiday childcare is something that I budget for across the whole year, it’s not just an August cost, working a year round job with more hours will up your monthly income, you set aside some of that each month so that during the holidays you have the money available for the holiday club. I use an Ofsted registered club so am able to use the govt childcare vouchers scheme (got in before the scheme closed years ago), you would be able to use the taxfree childcare scheme which tops up what you put in by 20% up to a set l8mit, so that reduces the childcare cost by 20%.

Can you train in something, look at the website Successful Mums, they offer training and support

To top up your wages you could apply to be an exam invigilator, you’d be surprised at how much work there is over the school year in a big busy comprehensive. You choose your hours (it’s basically a zero type hours contract), not great wages but would top up what you currently earn.

the trouble is, everybody is looking for these unicorn jobs at the moment… something that’s desk based, that I can do from home within school hours so I don’t have to pay for childcare and also only have to work during term time all for a grand salary of “whatever they decided if some that they need to live”… oh yes and also can I be five minutes on the road so I don’t have to drive and I can just walk to work?!!

These jobs don’t really exist because that’s not how the world works unfortunately… and if they do, they are very few and far between.
Something HAS to give whether that’s the fact that it’s not a desk based job, the fact that you might need some sort of child care and you may need to work all year around. I work all year round until 9 to 5 job and I seem to make it work, as does everyone else I work with.

Can your family help with childcare? If they can’t or won’t then it’s pointless living near them and you might as well move.

Can you work weekends or nights ?
Your DH looks after the children

Childminding would be an option or dog walking/pet sitting. Can you retrain and do some beauty stuff? Eyelashes/nails/waxing - you could do that flexibly and if you are that rural then you'd probably be in demand.

Classroom assistant? Here in Northern Ireland we are crying out for assistants (I'm a primary school teacher) and no qualifications are currently needed. It may be different in the rest of the UK though.

I was in this position. Rural Scotland. Couldn't move in nearer jobs etc as property cost so much more to move in nearer towns/cities. OP good luck with this (as I didn't find an answer) x

Yes, I worked mostly evenings too when my children were little. We didn't have family around and couldn't afford childcare so I worked 3 evenings and 2 mornings a week at a local colllege. It was admin for community learning classes so was term time only
One of the mornings my friend took my youngest to a mum and toddler group with her little one (the other 2 were at school) and I paid for one morning a week with a childminder
My husband would come in from work about 6/6.15pm and I'd head straight out to work 6.30-9.30pm

Obviously your post hides the fact that you got a man handling all your shortages. Ask him to support you.

I live in a rural area op and there is a massive shortage of childcare. Could you look into childminding? It wouldn’t be for me - but a few new ones have just opened up in our area any are already completely fully booked.

supermarket job on evenings and weekends? Cleaning job? My friend does 5am-8am cleaning at a supermarket.

Just what I was going to say. They're always looking for drivers in my area.

Could you do support work with adults with learning disabilities? It’s not WFH but I grew up in a very rural area and that was my mum’s job throughout my childhood. She could be flexible about her hours e.g 10-2.30 so she could do the school run and they didn’t require any qualifications.

I didn’t go to formal childcare because we couldn’t afford it, I went to friends houses and then my mum would have their kids another day. She did also take me to work with her occasionally which is probably frowned upon now!

Options:

1. Be less picky, and suck up a job you don’t wish to do (sorry).
2. Start training in something
3. Start your own business e.g. dog walking, dog grooming, pet sitting, tutoring, childminding, babysitting, cleaning.
4. Move. Being too rural limits you.
5. Consider CBT for anxiety.

Unfortunately, we cannot have it all. I would love to live in a less costly area, but have to be close to London due to DH’s niche industry.

It comes across that you don't actually want to do any more work, maybe you should focus on using your spare time to study so that when the kids are older you are more employable.

I think you could look at doing AAT online which would open up some doors for you to earn more when you do go back to work.

If you don't have any further qualifications already you may be entitled to study for free.

I think in your situation I'd look at setting up a cleaning business, OP. Would that be possible? Would you be able to travel to people's houses in school hours?

I wonder whether you could approach local teachers who might not want or need cleaners in the holidays but would be glad of it in term time.

Are you on medication for anxiety? It sounds as though it's really affecting you.

Dh works days,I work in the evenings,only way we could do it.

It sounds like you're after a unicorn job op. In the nicest possible way I don't think you can just get a magical job which doesn't involve being pushed out of your comfort zone so you either have to be more flexible on what you are prepared to do or accept that for now you will be a bit skint and a sahm.

One of the healthcare assistants in my GP surgery used to be a dental nurse. gp surgeries tend to be flexible with hours

Can you work as a band 2/3 on an NHS bank. 0 hour contract but most likely PLENTY of work, in my area you could work every day of the week if you wish. You can set your hours when it suits and work less during the holidays. You could work night shifts 2/3 nights a week, come home do school drop off, get to sleep, pick kids up and head out to work when DH is home. You accrue AL based on annual leave so would still be entitled to annual leave to get some payment during summer holidays when you work less. Can pick up extra shifts when DH is on annual leave, work weekends etc. it would offer complete flexibility and a decent wage. Of course it is not a desk job so there’s that to consider.