support thread for people who find it hard as LPs...

[simpson]

just wondering if this has been done before...

I have 2 Dcs (2 & 5) and am bringing them up by myself (H allowed to have phone contact only due to his fuck wittery {I love that phrase })

Sometimes its soooo hard doing it by myself

DS had parents evening today and although his comments from teachers were fab most all of the other parents were couples.

Sometimes it hits me that I have to do everything myself

I want to own kittens! My cat got run over last year - He was great to chat to!

Yes i was the old mad lady with a cat..
Now i'm the mad old lady with a dog..mwahahaa

Bleh, all that stress over xmas about whether I can do the new hours at work and today we get told they're making 3 redundacies next month and I am one of the 13 people being considered. They didn't want to spoil our xmas by telling us before but decided back in November.

If I'd known about the possibility back then I wouldn't of bought a new sofa and table set! :(

Oh No Gilly - That's terrible news!!
Will have my fingers crossed it's not you, when will you find out?

At the end of this month. Would of been 4 people but someone just handed their notice in and isn't being replaced so now only 3 to go...

We have a meeting on wednesday for us to put forward ways to reduce costs without making redundancies, eg all taking a 15% pay cut, but one colleague has already said she couldn't afford that kind of paycut (the one who earns the most out of all of us!) She's also convinced it'll be her going, though I'm not so sure.

Just goes to remind me though why I never spend money on stuff! Guess I was feeling secure enough to think ahead with my hours/money going up and things having settled since the last round of redundancies a year ago.

Trying not to over stress just yet and have to try and push it out of my mind till next week at least so can enjoy weekend away with ds and celebrate his birthday.

Urgh, gilly that doesn't sound like good news. More collective finger crossing, for what good it does, coming your way.

gilly- don't beat yourself up about the money spending,a table set, and sofa are basic things,and you need your 'nest' to be nice!

Maybe the lady who is refusing to take a pay cut to ease the situation, would be better employed elsewhere..where's her 'team spirit'?

Ooops I totally cocked up today

I knew DD had a hosp appt today so a few days ago I looked at the letter to check the time iyswim.

How was I supposed to know she had 2 appts on the same day!!

Sooo after all that we missed the allergy testing one which was at midday today (rescheduled for March ) and saw pead consultant which was kind of a waste of time really

Grrrr...

Simpson- i do things like that all the time!

Well because the allergy testing was cancelled from Dec (she had chickenpox) I knew appt was re-scheduled for today iyswim.

Its just the law of sod that the pead consultants was the same day and I only looked at one letter

Gilly - i agree, you did need a sofa and table set, we spend so much time at home we need it to be nice :)

Lacey being a pain at bedtimes the last few nights.

Am very much considering learning to drive.

Hannispan - might be worth contacting breastfeeding network helpline or similar, about medicine while breastfeeding because think doctors often just think no way can you have medication but not always correct. Or try a new thread for some of the amazingly knowledgeable mners to advise! Few years ago a friend was in hospital with bronchitis when she was bf and they found something they could give her

Gilly - poor you, how worrying, more fingers crossed here for you

Scorps - i only learnt to drive 4 years ago..
at 43!

Good for independence and confidence.
Bad for contents of purse!

Hi can I join in here please?

I'm newly single (again) and am really struggling. I don't have any family, I don't know anyone in the area and I have no support. I'm so isolated that I literally don't talk to anyone but my children from one week to the next at the moment and it's really, really getting to me.

NewYearNewSolo Are you really poorly sick?

Hello sjm123.. I'm here most of the time.

I actually have the radio on all day, it breaks the silence,when DS2 is at school.

How many DC do you have?

Hi Jellykat,

I have a 10 year old daughter and a 12 year old son. Last time I was on my own was when they were small and we were still living in London so had plenty of toddler groups and stuff to get me out and doing things. Not working isn't helping me at the moment really.

Also an another newbie to this little club.

I have a 4 1/2 year old Daughter who started school in September and I'm currently at work full time however it seems my working hours are about to be slashed by the sounds of things and when that happens I'm a wee bit fucked as I won't be earing enough to cover our outgoings.

Having a down spell at the moment. I moved In August and have left all my friends behind. Oh waht I wouldn't do for some adult non work related conversation now and again.

My DS2 is 12,but 13 next week.

You definitely need to get out and about.. Are you living rurally,or just in a small town/village now then?

What about voluntary work?

Oops xposts Exo.. got waylaid by son trying to kill his computer keyboard!

I found it really lonely at the start. I do think its true that having littlies is actually helpful.

I would like to get a job one day - possibly this year, i know this is selfish and awful but i worry so much that what if i don't get as much as money as what i have now and its tighter? :( I would need serious ££ for childcare alone.

I live in very west cornwall and would really benefit from driving. H could drive and we had a car so i managed just fine before, but now i want to do it for myself. I think i should go to bed really....

Scorps - I worry about the same thing re work I am planning to go back to work when DD starts school full time but also worry about the cost of child care etc.

Also its nice atm to be able to watch his nativity plays etc which I might not be able to do so easily with DD due to work.

I don't drive either and hate having to rely on lifts etc especially to get to and from my mum's for sunday lunch which the family usually all do together. But I know I could not afford to run a car atm

DD booked into a creche this afternoon for me to do my keep fit class which I love doing today

Scorps You'd get quite a bit towards your childcare from the Child Tax Credit. My childcare was £700 for the past 2 months, and has now gone down to £530 but I haven't got round to claiming CTC.

gilly keeping my fingers crossed for you. Hopefully, the lady who can't, will change her mind and will help the situation a bit. Team player - not!

scorps & simpson you would probably get 70% of your childcare fee's paid. FWIW I earn slightly over minimum wage and work 20 hours a week and get the 80% paid at the moment.

C&P from DirectGov page...

You can get help with up to 80 per cent of your childcare costs (I think this goes down to 70% in April 'thanks' Dave and George) - subject to a maximum limit in the amount of childcare costs you can claim each week.

If you pay childcare for:

?one child, the maximum childcare cost you can claim is £175 a week
?two or more children, the maximum cost you can claim is £300 a week
This means that the maximum help you can get for your childcare through tax credits is:

?£140 a week for one child
?£240 a week for two or more children
The actual amount you get will depend on your income - the lower your income, the more tax credits you can get.

This thread has gone eerily quiet!

Thanks Meglet, though £240 max for 4 kids....hmm. I'm going to book my eye test tomorrow ready to learn to drive. I'll do that first, then have a look at returning to uni. Sigh.

More messages from H tonight.

Hi Scorps-What are/were you doing at uni?