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.

Or supply TA agencies. You can do extra, as and when, alongside your current teaching job if that doesn’t give enough hours.

Yes this! What ages were they when you were trying to wfh with them? No one can do this successfully @SoftAsShit. you need childcare…regardless!

How old are you children? Preschool childcare expensive but for school age children in the holidays it's much cheaper. Plus you and your DH will both have annual leave to take, so with a few weeks annual leave and a few weeks holiday childcare it should be do-able, even in a low paid role. If you worked part time you'd have less days to pay for.

Minimum wage is £12.21 x 8hrs per day = £97 per day, approx £90 after tax. The avergage cost of childcare during school holidays is £26 but let's say £30, x 2 children = £60 per day. So you'd easily still be making money. If you save and spread the cost over the year and use tax free childcare it would be even less than that. To say you can't afford it is not true. Other working families manage it.

Could you try practising driving? Or getting a couple of refresher lessons to build your confidence?

So you live rurally but there’s no jobs near you.

No jobs near you but you won’t drive

You won’t move house because you’d be moving away from family. Who don’t do any childcare anyway so what’s the bonus there?

So if work isn’t an option then could you cut back at home? Children of that age are happy with the park, walks etc messy play etc. are there any areas you spend more than you need to?

Op your making a lot of excuses of why you can't do things. Look at working nights or weekends. Work on techniques to improve your anxiety. That might open more opportunities for you

You sound terribly fussy and every suggestion that has been made you dismiss.

Why don’t you consider getting some more skills? That way you will increase your options

why don't you offer local babysitting, evening work, just sitting in someone's house watching their kids!

The thing is OP whilst I do sympathise, lots of mumsnetters have had to do all the things you can’t/wont do in your mind because they wanted/needed a better income - be that moving away from family ( it’s not as if your family are doing lots of free childcare by the sound of it) - cutting commutes, places with more part time options or doing evening/weekend work in roles that in many cases are below people’s capabilities but do ‘fit’ the times they can do . Holidays- people spread annual leave between them , use holiday clubs, send slightly older kids off to camp Beaumont or PGL and factor the cost in as to what they earn over a year , and yes people do WFH jobs where they might be able to have a bit more flexibility - and hang onto them even if they hate the job . If you have kids then yes unless you have a great career with 9 to 5 and flexibility then the options are limiting and you have to consider options that ‘don’t really suit’ and work out how to make it work even if it involves spending all your salary 12 weeks a year on childcare etc - because 40 weeks a year- it doesn’t!!!

Have you tried temping work? You could register with an agency for something like short term data entry, work from home and do a couple of weeks at a time then not during the hols.

It might be a bit sporadic but worth a try?

Are you good with IT or numbers? Can you do some learning or training in your down time (when school restarts) to enable you to work on something like website design and maintenance or becoming a book-keeper/accounts technician/accountant?

what about dog walking or dog boarding - you could continue in the holidays? and … my DIL is training as a dog groomer and has taken a course in dog teeth cleaning - could you build on your dental nurse skills to offer this service? Are there any other ways you could build on those skills?

Exactly what we did for many years with four kids ! Paid very little in childcare. I worked nights and weekends around dh's 9-5 job.

How about doing a cleaning job. You would be able to pick your hours.

It's unfortunate that you left you WFH job. I've been doing mine for years, with sick kids in the picture and term time holidays, too. You just send them to childminder or affordable church nursery part-time, they have lunch there, come home and nap for 2-3 hours, so you can finish your work, and then you finish in the evening when they go to bed (I've been a contractor but with somewhat flexible deadlines). Yes, it's stressful, but you suck it up if you really need the money. It won't be forever. My youngest has started school now and it's not that stressful anymore. I also live rurally, and if I lost my current job I could probably try to get a job in a local bakery, starting at 4am. DH would take them to school in the morning, I would have a nap after coming home and then pick them up. I've known couples who worked night shifts/days shifts in such situations, to save on childcare - they swapped for several years till school started. That's life, it's hard, but you need to persevere :).

Because we couldn’t afford the childcare 🤣 still can’t. Hence why I quit that job and now work around the kids.

Yes I know I’m expected to work on the holidays. But there would be times when DC were really poorly and looking after a shitting, spewing child while working was impossible but because we was at home I felt like I had to do it. I probably didn’t. But it just felt like I had no excuse to ask for time off even when it was valid.

Unfortunately, until your kids are older and childcare is cheaper, you may have to accept you will not earn much more than childcare costs. This is sadly the reality for many parents (usually Mums). As others have pointed out, with working, you get annual leave, sick leave, pension etc, plus experience usually leads to a salary increase with time.

Would you consider tutoring or teaching English online? Big demand for this and don't always need qualifications.

@SoftAsShit Maybe it would be more productive for you tell us what you are willing to do 🤷‍♀️

So far you’ve been silent on most suggestions.

@SoftAsShit what happened with the children when you had your WFH job? Surely they still had nursery/school and you had to pay for childcare for the school holidays?

How far away is the nearest big supermarket? Surely there must be one somewhere? Like others suggested stacking shelves at night is pretty solitary so perhaps less anxiety inducing that being in a front role.

Unfortunately when kids are young then childcare is expensive and does take up a large chunk of wages. You just power through it best you can. Did you try anything to make life easier with your WFH job, part time child care, flexi hours? Yes you absolutely can take time off for sick kids. It's called parental leave. It's not an excuse. It's just fact. "Little Jonny has D&V sorry I have to take annual leave/unpaid leave to deal with it. See you Thursday." You made life far harder than needed to be. Replacing you cost your employers money. I would rather allow some adjustments for a good employee than let them burn out/leave. Did you try talking to them before you quit?
Shame you gave the WFH job up as it gets easier once they are older and you then still advance your career.

May have been suggested, but what about evenings/weekends. supermarkets, pubs, restaurants. I have a friend who works in Mc Donald’s they are really flexible.
Cleaning, I am a nurse and earn less than my friend who is a cleaner, same for my friend who is a private carer.

wfh is great, really helps out families in my opinion. But you still need actual childcare! Especially for little ones! It’s not actually possible to work and look after tinies

I think in your boat OP if you don’t want to childminding or night working I’d look for another school job, TA, office staff or dinner lady etc? At least those are school hours only

Are there any training or study opportunities that aren't too expensive? Local college? Part time or evening options? Get some qualifications, stretch your brain and expand your employability?

Potentially lots of evening work that isn't bar work.

Pubs/restaurants have kitchen staff/pot wash.
Call centers
Theatres
Leisure centers
Cinema
Bowling alleys
Shops
Pharmacy
Warehouse
Factories
Cleaning of offices/other workplaces