working - advice on what to do...!

[HanBanan]

I'm settling back into the uk after moving back with my now 4 year old, she's at school and I work as a voluntary carer in the morn and a dinner lady in the afternoon. My pay is 10 hours per week so am still on some income support and have the full entitlement to housing benefit etc

But I want to come off as much benefit as possible and get back to work but am having a huge confidence crisis about what direction to take

I have always worked in the past and this year is the first time I have been part time. Also I have no granparents in the UK to help with childcare.

So I have enjoyed being able to pick my daughter up from school and take her to ballet class etc, something I couldn't dream of doing before.

But I am worried about how I can still achieve to do this and work at the same time.

I am doing a teachers assistant course, and have very good qualifications from GCSEs to an MA, so qualifications aren't necessarily a problem. I just don't know what to do!!

Do any of you work from home? What jobs do you do and how do you manage the work-life balance?

Seriously confused and have had great advice in the past....

I run myown business selling children's books, around my son, who often comes with me! Always looking for new team members- message me if you'd like info!

X

Thanks wmwg! Sounds like you've got it sussed!

I dont work from home but I work part time over four days one 6 hour shift and 3 9 hour shifts. This lets me pick up from school on the short day and pick up and drop off on my day off.

I use a combination of nursery and childminder for the little one and just the childminder for the big one. The cm takes dd1 to any out of school activitys that fall on a day she has her, and she does activitys like music groups with dd2 on the days she has her they are always doing something.

I had an unexpected day off yesterday and I dont think Im cut out to stay at home full time

Yep, it's great to be in the workplace just for the extra social contact!!
Ok, so that sounds reasonable and you're doing quite a few hours and you get 3 days off - so still plenty of time to be mum.

I have a friend who is a childminder so that option is prob the best for me once I'm working.

Nice to know there are possibilities and it's not all just a confusing juggle