What job do you do that suits your kids

[Tomatowentsplat]

I'm job hunting after 6yrs at home.
I dont have any degrees etc and most jobs I feel I'd succeed at I'm not flexible enough. Like the advert says most be fully flexible between 8am - 9pm mon-fri.and 8-6pm sat & sun. Which I can't do as I have no help with childcare.
I can't even get my head around school holidays.

So what's your job and how does it suit your kids/family unit?

My kids are 5 and almost 4.

Most people, even part time workers, need to pay for some childcare.

Are you looking for a job which will allow you to drop off and pick up?

Cafe work (few hours over lunch rush), cleaning, dog walking, school/office lunch lady.

Civil service jobs can be very flexible, including term time only working if you've offices near you.

I work 3 days a week.
But 2 days are till 8 o clock which is how I fit the most hours in.
On the other day I work when she's at school.
On the 2 days I drop her off at school then go to work which is really near and she goes to wraparound care after school. In holidays she goes to same place on those days.
I work in insurance. Call centre. But I did work there fulltime before I got pregnant so it was easier.
But they do advertise as being able to do stuff like this to newcomers

Im not against using breakfast or after-school clubs. As much as I would of course prefer to be there like everyone I guess but I have no objections to using childcare.
It's just trying to find something that allows me to start after breakfast club starts and finish in enough time to get back before it finishes.

There doesn't seem to be any jobs advertised with hours that suit.

I worked almost 10yrs in a contact centre, from being a call handler, a trainer to a seconded training manager but no where is offering suitable hours. I was made redundant when pregnant (everyone was they shut the centre) or I would have been able to go back on suitable hours.

I work part time in the civil service, drop the toddler to the childminder at 7.50, and pick up at 5.30, 3 days a week. 2 of those days from home (longer days at home, to make up for the shorter day when going into the office).

I think finding a childminder / breakfast & after school club is going to be what you need? Might be able to find something within school hours but not sure what that would be and wouldn't be very long hours (so not much pay?)

Freelance journalist/writer in an non-competitive subject, not requiring me to go anywhere. Can pick it up and put it down as I need to. You have to be good at switching gears though!

Is there something you know your way around that is a bit niche?

I've managed to never use childcare, my dc1 wouldn't have coped (some autistic symptoms). Luckily xh didn't leave till they were both at preschool for some of the week.

I realise this is a long shot, but I started it pre-dc when I had a chronic health condition and couldn't go out to work. Maybe think outside the box about what you could do?

Best of luck.

Following. I've been made redundant and can't find a part time anywhere. I feel so tense and deflated.

I want PT hours (up to 30) due to MS and having a DC. 😢

"Just apply for a WFH job" - well I'm trying and not getting anywhere with that either.

I would suggest looking at local authority jobs as they often offer part-time and those that are part time tend to require less experience or lower qualifications (the professional or senior posts are usually full-time). My employer (an LA) lets part-time staff choose their own hours, which is very helpful if you need to work around schools/childcare.

I'm a banking officer and can work during school hours which is ideal. I'm not sure how often those sorts of jobs come up though.

I had this issue with several kids at several schools and trying to be in 10 places at once. I now work for myself as a cleaner, not exactly glamorous but it suits us

I work as a self employed cleaner, not glamorous but the pay isn’t bad and definitely better than anything else I could find if I was employed.
Getting clients and starting up was relatively easy and cheap. I’ve been doing it for 3 years and currently only work school hours.
I also have some lovely clients that let me bring my children with me when they aren’t at school.

Civil servant. Completely flexible.

But TBH most people who have flexible jobs started full time and then reduced their hours. So this thread may not be as helpful as you need it to be.

Would book keeping interest you?? That seems to be very flexible, above minimum wage and in demand. Also relatively easy and quick to get sone qualifications in

I manage marketing for a small technology company.

I work 4 days at home - I drop my son at the school bus and then work 8am - 5.15pm, then collect him from the bus.

On the other day. I drop him at the bus then catch a train into the office, work there until 4pm, then home to pick him up. I seldom take a lunch break so I work about 42 hours.

As long as the work gets done, my boss is fine with it. He works from home too. The company is ahead of target. And he only pays for a Regus style room, rather than an office, so for us, wfh is effective.

Are you good at writing, proof reading, organising, etc. Have you looked at marketing or creative? Event planning? Content writing for commercial web sites.

If you find a role you are really suited to, and apply/ get to interview, I would just be really honest and say these are the hours I can do.

I once did that. Applied for a job with a 2 page cover letter and at the end was just honest and said I need to wfh.
They got back to me with a totally different wfh role that wasn't even advertised! So worth a shot.

If you drive and have a car - Amazon Flex. It's nit great money, so you'd probably need something else as well but it's completely flexible wnd they pay weekly

Apologies for the typos

Retail. I rarely worked weekends and when I did my ex-MIL had DS1. If you get the right manager then they will sort your shifts for the days you can do.

There's lots on remote jobs for call centre staff. Do you think you might be able to work from home? I've done housekeeping in hotels, not glam but work back of nine till three so no childcare costs.

I have a craft business. Between us me and dh work around the kids as we both have flexibility.

I’m a data protection officer. Tend to work my hours between 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday. The time I log on/off and when I take my breaks are completely flexible, which helps with juggling childcare drop off and pick up. WFH 4 days out of 5 also helps and DH is fully remote, so can also do his share. Still, we have no family support and have to rely on longer pre-school days to make it work.

I work part time in IT, mostly from home. On days I have to go into the office I can't quite fit my hours into the time I can get childcare but I can offset it with the days I'm at home and I have a fairly long commute.
I did do this job before I had kids though, and suspect I would struggle to get another part time role if I left.

My job is for me, nothing to do with my child? I work mon - Fri 8-4, daughter is in daycare.

Thanks for all your replies. I was made redundant when I was pregnant, so ended up taking a few years out and now trying to get back into something is difficult.
I'm seeing jobs that are 8.30-6 that I could do well but with commute Id struggle dropping at breakfast club and back for after school in time.

Got a dew suggestions to look in to

I work in a school. I drop the children at breakfast club before school and they are with a Childminder for a couple of hours after school. They love going to the childminder's and would happily stay longer if I needed to change my hours. Working in a school means I don't have to worry about childcare during the holidays but it unfortunately also means that my pay isn't very good.

I work as Exec Asst totally from home, DD is now at secondary which means I drop her to school at 8.35 am and get home to start at 9 then use my lunch hour to collect her at 3.30 before re-starting work

@Tomatowentsplat
8.30-6 is quite a long day!

It could be an idea to apply for the jobs then ask about part time/ different hours after the interview. They sometimes don't advertise roles as part time but actually might be happy to be flexible.