Woould you go back to work even if it made you no better off ??

[nutcracker]

Have seen a job i'd love to apply for, Health care assistant in the child assesment centre at the local hospital, 20 hours a week.

Thing is, I have a feeling that once childcare is taken into account i'd probably only be as well off as I am now. Now at the mo the thought of that doesn't bother me as I feel like I need to do something before I go nuts, but would I feel like that after a hard day at work when I still couldn't afford a take away ??

Any opinion gratefully recieved.

How long will you be paying for childcare for - is your child coming up to school age, or nursery-voucher age? If you're working for nothing for only for a few months then it's probably worth it, but for longer then probably not.

Personally I wouldn't work for nothing, I would want to see something at the end of it.

Ds is 3.5, starts school sept 07. He currently gets 12.5 hours a week free at nursery.

I have to older kids though and may need to pay for before school care but if not certainly holiday care.

hi im in a kind of similar situation as you and i say go for it! if it is something u think you woul;d enjoy,
I have recently got a job with the nhs and once childcare plus housing benefit and council tax have been adjusted i won't be that much better off, but at least I'll be getting out there doing something i will enjoy. I am getting cabin fever at home I need to do something with myself as well as being a mother, also remeber you can work you're way up in your job and get more money eventually, I feel I am starting on my career path with this job and I'll have to slog it out a bit money wise but I feel the rewards albeit not financial but personal outweigh my reasons for not working.
I hope this helps x

Ahh you recently got the hearing screening job didn't you ?

I think i'd probably just about break even tbh which like I say at the mo doesn't bother me as I feel like i have to do something because I am so fed up of doing nothing. It's just a bit scary.

Am going to ring and ask for more info about the hours tommorow as it says they are flexible so that might help childcare wise.

They are willing to train to so I would be able to do my nvq 2 and 3.

If your income is fairly low you could claim the Childcare element of Child Tax Credits or whatever they're called now. And Working Tax Credit. And possibly Income Support.

Ah, if you're training you might get free or subsidised childcare through the college.

Yep thats right Badhair and i'd get help with rent and council tax too.

Am definatly going to apply i think.

yes,I would definately go for it. I've been looking into what I can do when dd goes all day, and I know I will be no better off (if not worse off) than I am now (currently on IS and childminding part time) but I have to do something, and want to do something.

I can't isolate myself any longer, and I feel I just couldn't justify it to myself or anyone else, being at home when my two are at f/t school.

Good Luck!!

yeah It was me! I'm very excited about starting although I've just found out I'm pregnant again so will only be working for around 6 months before maternity leave!
I understand what you are saying aboutwanting to do something that's why I applied I neveractually thought I would get the job though, so I had to start thinking about the practilcalities afterwards.
The nhs is good with training people up it would be great for you to get your nvqs.
go with your heart! I know money is important but your contenment is more so imo!
Some people are happy not to work and be on benefits which is fine, but tbh I cant wait to start working and making my way in the work force!
Do what you feel willmake you the happiest.

Exactly, i think i need to do it to get myself back into the real world.

TBH I'd be very surprised if I actually got the job really as I have next to no experiance of work at all but I'll give it my best shot.

I wouldn't.

Sorry, I wouldn't work unless I absolutely had to. It's a major juggling act and you're always shattered.

Even if it would (hopefully) improve your confidence and self esteem expat ??

I wouldn't TBH

I think with the stress you'd feel at work and juggling childcare you'd start to resent the impact on your life

Try it and see. I guess you won't know until you've actually done it.

Personnally if I didn't absolutely have to I wouldn't. I HAVE to go back full time in September as I applied for p/t but was turned down. Really miffed as dp and I juggled lots of financial balls to enable us to afford me going p/t.
We prob could just manage if I didn't go back at all but there would be no extras at all, not even the odd take away, no clothes no holidays not even branded food. So I feel I HAVE to go back, so I've decided to give it a go until Christmas and see how i feel. If it's a bad as I think thenI will be a SAHM, but at least I'll have given it ago.

I'm praying that I'll love it, and ds will love staying with my sister and the childminder half a week each.
You never know, miracles do happen!!

but are any of you that wouldn't on benefits??

It doesn't do much for your self esteem. Especially when you've been on them a while.

No, I wouldn't nutty.

I can't believe anyone would be less stressed with parenting if the had less time to do the parenting because they were working IYSWIM.

It would have to make me better off to do it.

don't worry nutcracker i had only one job before and that was a casual job, the most important thing is to show passion for what you are doing.

I've NEVER needed work to improve my self-esteem or confidence. And that's a good thing, too, b/c none of the jobs I've ever had would have been good for that.

it's not just the work that improves your self esteem, it's feeling that you are making a contribution to society and not being on benefits

agree happymumof2, easier to say if you have a hubby who works that you would rather not work,
but living off benefits and.or aswell asbeing on your own doeshave an impact after a while.

i don't have a hubby who is a big earner. he only works part-time b/c we could not afford to eat w/o his job and we cannot afford childcare.

it sucks. there's no WAY i'd do this if i didn't have to.

i'm f*cking knackered all the time and i feel like i'm never fully organised despite all my best efforts.

also feel like i don't see my kids enough.

personally, I know I have been there 100% for my kids. Ds is nearly 7 and dd is 2.5. She will be in full time nursery when I go back so I'm actually now looking at going back for me as I do feel I need a life outside of my four walls and taking my kids and to and from school every day. I will go back to work, even if it means I am no better off, possibly even worse off, as if I don't do it soon, I will spend the rest of my life on benefits and I simply don't want to live like that.

Nutty, go for it, definately.

I'd think about it carefully, because of the training you would be given which could lead to other things, if you are considering developing a career in the future.

That is one of the reasons it appeals puff as I could get into nursing with the NVQ 3 and the job experiance.

I am going to ring up and query the hours first and then decide what to do. If it were for example 9.30 - 1.30 then that couldn't really be anymore perfect but I'll see.

If it meant I were worse off financially then I def won't do it as I already struggle, but if it meant I was in much the same position as now then I think I have to at least give it a go. I could always leave it it didn't work out, but i think i'd regret not even trying.

TBH I am quite surprised at some of the comments, I thought most of you would be saying yep go for it, if it improves self esteem etc and you are no worse off.

Obviously I can't know if it would work for me unless i tried it.