benefit bashing threads on here are bollocks - i dont even look at them. is easy to have a go at people over anything if you dont have to face them in real life. just stick a label on them and away you go.
when the kids were young i never had anyone who knoe me say i should have worked and employed a child minder, even tho i did try it a couple of times. so i stop work and claimed benefits, was the only way we could survive. and thats what the system is for, to keep you going while you need it.
and considering theres a couple of million people out of work, it would seem naive to expect all the single parents in the country - many who are unqualified - to find work when qualified and experienced people can't.
so anyway, just keep doing what you are already, the kids are your priority, and theyre a full time job, after that its more down to what youd like to do to prepare for working in the future, that is trying to avoid being stuck in a dead end job when you have to work.
i didnt do that, i dodged around for years doing all sorts of things and never planned a thing - worked out of course but only by chance. even now i work for a single mum doing everything possible - and then some. eventually i'll head off toward surestart or gingerbread - something like that.
once went to twycross zoo - now that really is a brilliant place they have giraffes!! the most amazing creature you can imagine - just makes me grin like a mad thing thinking about them! and elephants and regular animals, but giraffes, could have watched them all day...and you thought you were nutty. anyway, twycross is a charity i think, and theyll take volunteers. if i'd lived 150 miles closer to it, i'd have loved to have worked there, is the sort of place i could happily spend my time.
and although i havent worked with animals as such, since being a sp ive worked in places where ive enjoyed being doing the stuff i like to do. that follows years of industry which i hated, i only did it as it paid well, without realising how miserable it had made me as i lived away from home most of the time. all i kept thinking was i must work, i must earn more, i must work more. done with the best intentions of course, but still went wrong.
so ignore the benefit bashers - i raised three kids and claimed when i had to, now two are at uni and one in college, and i work full time as i really do need to!!
you still have the freedom to choose, train, educate, work, volunteer, whatever. just think of what you enjoy and what you could be good at given the chance. and take it from there when youre ready. the more things you try the more chance youll have of finding whats right. ive had a lot of very different jobs - and i mean a lot.
as for racing - was excellent!! even a smashed radiator didnt stop us - anyone can crash - borrowed another and didnt miss a race. thats it now tho - the car goes up for sale and santa pod beckons with a new one...and maybe back to silverstone - tho thats next year.
hope your tribe bring you as much fun - kids can be brilliant - especially at helping you relive your misspent youth