Looking ahead trying to figure out what’s best

[Overthinkerforlife]

I’m currently working part time in a poorly paid administrative position whilst looking after my children (3 and 1) on my ‘non working days’.

I’ve worked in higher paid roles before but in a completely inflexible industry that wouldn’t be possible part time. I’m unlikely to return to this industry later in life due to no longer living in London (where most of these jobs are based).

I throughly enjoy looking after my children and don’t want to work any additional days whilst they are so little. However, I can’t help but (over) think about what is best when they start school. I’m fairly certain I could compress my hours to work school hours in my current job meaning I could do all school drop offs and pick ups. I do like the idea of this but I also know if I do this throughout their primary education, I would be saying goodbye to any prospect of a better paid career.

I am considering retraining as Speech Therapist when they start school but I don’t know if I’m living in a dream world thinking I will be able to start a new career at almost 40, with two young children and a house to run. My husband won’t be able to pick the children up from school and unlikely to be able to take days off if they are sick (he’s self employed).

In an ideal world I would complete a Speech Therapy masters and then work part time for a few years, but I don’t know how likely it is to find a part time Speech Therapy job after just graduating

Our financial position isn’t great, we own our house with a smallish mortgage (900pcm) and have a few grand in savings and investments but that’s about it. I’m also conscious that if my marriage were to end, I’m in a poor financial position working in a low paying admin job.

Is better to stay in a boring part time job that will lend itself to school hours, does anyone regret doing this once the children have got older? Or is it better to focus more on career once the children are in school knowing they had a lot of time with me in their early years?

I love spending time with my daughter. I also went full time when she was 6 to safeguard and fund my future. I would love to do all the school runs, however it’s not feasible.

You are married which gives you some security. However, the biggest flaw in your argument is that your husband can’t do the school run/cover sickness as he’s self employed. Surely that’s the biggest perk as being self employed, they can adapt. Just like a trades person would if the supplies turned up a day later than scheduled. Is he choosing not to, rather than can’t?

@FriedFalafels did you go back to the same job you were doing before or start something new? How do you juggle school runs and school holidays with full time work? Yes in theory self employed is more flexible but he can’t work from home (he’s an electrician) so when he’s not at work he’s not earning. There might be a world in which he can do some pick ups when they start school but any sick days would fall to me.

I did my clinical degree at 38 and completely changed my career. However, SaLT masters is quite intense with long placements which are basically full time work (you get a study day once a fortnight) so you need to plan for that. Accelerated masters also go for most of the year with no holidays to speak of. I think we had one week for Easter and Christmas and two weeks in summer.
Don't know about part time SaLT positions but I assume it can be done. Most people in our team work part time. I think there is only myself and one other person in a 20-odd people team with FT hours.

I'd say use this time whilst children are little to dabble in some free Open University and similar courses in the evenings when they're asleep, to see if you'd really enjoy and be able to focus on studying that topic alongside parenting.

If not, pick some other topics and see where they lead.

@Catza how did you find changing careers to a clinical role?

Absolutely love it! I had similar doubts thinking that age was a barrier. It was nothing of a sort. In fact, I had so much life experience that I had no issues moving up a band when opportunities came and got from Band 5 to Band 7 within nine months after graduation. Best decision I've ever made.
It's not a walk in the park and the earning potential is limited but if you find the right service with a great team, it's so worth it.

I coasted part time in the same role, however the salary progression halted in exchange for flexibility. I went back FT when DD was 6. I upskilled with qualifications and now I have experience and skills to command flexibility in my role with predominantly remote working. I also doubled my pay so it was totally worth it.

School runs and school holidays are managed as we don’t prioritise my partners work over mine. We are equal. He’s self employed and I’m employed. We both flex our hours to average 50% of school runs. He just ensures he plans his working day knowing he has the responsibility of being a parent. We do a mix of drop offs/pick ups and use one end of the wraparound care. Equal parent school runs are quite common in our small school.

We also set days early on in terms of sickness. If she fell sick on M/T it was DP to cover, the other 2 days were mine to cover.