Would you take this job with a 3 year old?! I’m torn!

[Amivei]

I have been a stay at home mum since dd. We are ok financially as a family but I have been offered a job of 70k, remote apart from 2 days a month in the office.

I can basically work when I want, assuming I meet client need.

Having not worked since DD was born I am a bit worried about how I will adapt. I feel like at the moment when I drop her at nursery at 9am, by the time I collect her at 4, I have only just had chance to clean and tidy and prep dinner!!

We could do with the extra money just to pay off the mortgage earlier and this would make a massive massive difference. I am so conflicted and worry I might regret it if I start!

I would go for it, as PP have said even sticking it out for a few months is going to top up the family income well and it will look good on your CV.

I work for much less but similar conditions and I have a cleaner every other week and often drop off some ironing to be done. For that salary please don't spend all your spare time doing household stuff - outsource what you can.

I totally understand how daunting it can be going back to work (DD was nearly 3 when I went back) and sometimes struggle to balance everything but its really too an opportunity to pass up.

Do you have / need specific tech skills and qualifications? Sorry for hijacking the thread, feel free to DM me .

OP I agree with a lot of advice given here - you won't know until you try, you'll probably find you thrive on the juggle and if it's extra money then you can always quit if it's really not for you...

Well yes and no, you can get into it through non traditional routes. I have 20 years experience and degree. But you really don't need that to get into it. Its mostly based on experience and what you can say you have done for someone else. Like if you can bring a business more business through your marketing efforts and prove you have done it for someone else, then qualifications are not needed. There are loads of online courses. There is a website Successful Mums that does courses for it, there are free courses on google. There are loads of different areas within it to specialise in like social media or paid media. Have a look. I really enjoy it :)

Agree with all OPs who say do it. With your extra earnings you can afford to pay for a cleaner, your DP will need to do his share & you can batch cook at weekends. I wouldn't be over-stressed about 'proper' meals - there's nothing wrong with beans on toast with grated cheese or baked potato with beans & cheese.

When I had little ones DH had his own businesses, I worked 3 days a week & 3 children born within 5 years of each other, we used to live out of the freezer. Every weekend I'd make either a batch of bolognaise sauce, or 5 cottage pies, a vat of curry, 5 tuna/pasta bakes and so on so that for 3 or 4 evenings in the week we would live out of the freezer & the other 2 we would have baked potatoes with baked beans, tuna mayo, egg mayo, scone-based pizza or similar. Sometimes we'd have beans on toast with grated cheese on top - nothing wrong with that.

On summer weekends I'd be having to help DH in his (catering) business as he was particularly busy then. MIL or my parents would have the children & when I picked them up I'd make a pile of sandwiches & we'd have a picnic in the garden, or if raining in front of the TV.

I had food on 2 weekly cycles so Week A Monday would be cold chicken (left over from Sunday roast), baked potato & salad, Monday week B would be chicken curry (I'd roast 2 chickens every 4 weeks & make a vat of chicken curry to freeze), Tuesday week A spag bol, Tuesday week B I'd turn the bolognaise sauce into a pasta bake, or, to ring the changes, baked potato with bolognaise sauce on it. Yes, DH would moan that he could tell it was Tuesday week B, but he could always make something different for the family if he chose & he often did.

These days I find that the prepared ravioli tortellini & similar are brilliant -I'm talking along the lines of Rana, but I buy supermarket's own brand. I freeze them, but they don't take long to cook in boiling water from frozen, in fact easy to over-cook. Stick some garlic bread in the air fryer, some tomato sauce (batch home-made with chargrilled peppers etc at weekend & frozen) in the microwave, make a salad if you've got the energy & inclination. Job done in 10 minutes. I wish they'd been available when I had young children.

Absolutely! She’s 3 years not 3 months!

It is not just about the money, it is whether you want to be back to work, feel that corporate drive, get mental stimulation, expand your network and conversations with professionals, etc etc. Do you love what you do? Lots of women look forward to returning to work for that extra kick in their lives. Others are totally content with their lives around family and house, up to you to decide which camp you belong to!

Please tell me this is a joke 🙄

I'll starting to wonder at this thread. 💩Incompetent woman who has dd in permanent childcare, doesn't need the money, hasn't worked fir years, can't clean and get an evening meal prepared, gets offered dream job. Hmmmm .....

God I earn quite a bit less than half of that, and I still manage to make dinner (ok I don’t work long hours due to childcare). In fact my household income is below that.

70k is an amazing salary to turn down because you have a 3 year old. Use some of it for a cleaner and some meal prep kits.

Or maybe see if the job is prepared to reduce your hours and give you a lower salary? That might ease you in better!

I didn't 'need' to work &, in fact, was under pressure from DH not to work, but to be available to help out in his catering businesses. However, I felt it important that I earned my own money & contributed to my own pension - all independent from him. All our children worked in the business as they grew up & received a proper pay packet (in those days a little brown envelope with a pink slip telling them how it had been worked out). As a partner in the business I only got dividends which I packed away.

I'm so glad that I did. After 40+ years of marriage, although we're still going strong & love the bones of each other, I have so many friends who didn't work, devoted their lives to the family & got divorced & then, in their 40's were having to start from scratch.

I have a good pension & healthy savings which means I can go out & buy myself a nice brand new Mini convertible without consulting DH -as I did recently. I can treat my children & grandchildren to a day out, a holiday, a meal & he can't ask how much it's costing or object in any way because it's my money, earned by me. It also means that when I buy DH a present it comes from my money so it really is a present, not something that he contributed to.

Take it, and then if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve tried. Get a cleaner in a few times a week for a few hours so you don’t need to worry about that. Get an ironing service. Online food shop.

No brainer! Go for it, you can always quit if you don’t like it or it doesn’t work

It does all seem a bit…. unlikely.

Totally manageable. Or get a cleaner, and share more of the domestic chores with your husband.

Batch cooking is your friend…..wholesome nourishing meals that you all like and bunged in the freezer, do a big shop once a month then it’s just a quick top up shop weekly…..alternatively have a delivery.

You have been SAHM for three years and got stuck in your present regime…..that’s easy to change…….go for it! Good luck!

What the actual fuck. Most people will kill to have an offered salary with those working conditions in this recruitment market OR have the CHOICE to stay home with their kids. What luxury. You are taking a job away from someone else. Why on earth would you not go back to work? Your child would certainly benefit from nursery as otherwise will be less prepared for school. Either way it’s a privileged position you find yourself in.

£70k a year that’s not massively needed. Hire a cleaner.

I can't get past putting her in nursery full time when you are off work.
Could have had fun with her all day instead of leaving her with strangers

Take it. No brainer!

That's a good point, why is she in nursery?

OMG take the job! Or in ten years you will be like another poster today whose husband has her living in an overdraft as she quit work. Pay people to do your cleaning, online shopping etc.

Why not hire someone to help with cleaning and cooking couple of times a week. That will give you time as family and keep on top of household and won't break your bank. You will do something you enjoy and your family will also be happy.

Omg what kind of job is this exactly? Serious question. I’d love a job like that!

Do what is best for you OP. A man wouldn't ask himself all these questions.

Split chores with your partner, hire cleaner and spend quality time together not worrying about money. Hope it goes well!

Can’t be bothered to read all the replies but assume people are tearing you a new one. Have some awareness about your relative privilege. Take the 70k job. Or not. Sounds like it will be absolutely fine either way 🤷‍♀️