Jobs that work around the kids

[Sunshineday1]

Which jobs do you work around your children? And a husband that is on call! So no evenings, due to on call, but that works around pick up/drop off? Also what do you do during the school holidays? Any advice would be great!!! Thank you!!

Watching this with interest. Though I have a brilliant job that fits around his school day (office work) I do find the school holidays extremely hard and sometimes have to resort to holiday clubs which can be expensive.

I've looked for work in a school but even those jobs are generally working before and after my DS school hours.

Maybe I cant have it all afterall lol

My sis works as a carer, at the weekends and on evenings..

TA, lunchtime supervisor, school dinner lady, school office.

Assuming you have no education specific skills

Paid work for a charity commissioned by the nhs, super flexible around the kids

It's on call evening and weekends that kills a lot of jobs. Can't have 1 in 4 weekends off from most jobs and there would need to be a flexible rota as well to juggle clashes.

I work in a school library/ admin. 9-2.30 term time only, works really well at the moment.

I work in a school office, and use the after school club for childcare which is reasonably priced, and don't need it during school holidays. MIL and shift working DP mop up the odd dates when the INSET days of my school and the kids are different.

I used to work for the local council which was reasonably flexible and my department was encouraged to take our annual leave during the school holidays as it was a quieter time for us.

Hospital in outpatient as a HCA. 08.30- 01.30. Single parent school and play schemes in the school holidays!

I'd say most office jobs in the Council. I think most Councils do flexi time so your start and end time can fit in around school pick up and drop offs.

...said no father ever.

Well, not none, but you get my point.

I work full time in a job that has allowed me to progress my career, work a lot from home (before Covid) have flexibility, be stimulated and challenged, and well paid.

I’ve used nursery then school wrap around, and holiday clubs.

Looking at my friends, well paid and flexible part time work usually came from having first been full time.

So I’d look for good positions in companies that appear to be embracing work from home / mixed office and home, and take the initial financial hit on childcare.

Full time wfh flexible hours for doing pick ups and drop offs. One morning breakfast club. One pick up grandparents. One after school club. One pick up Dad.

School holidays annual leave. Clubs. Grandparents. Dad.

NHS admin but I have always had to use paid childcare so I can work a full day 9pm-5pm and days in the school holidays.I work part time 3 days a week. My husband is a shift worker

I'm a teacher and I work 2.5 days a week so do pick up 3 days a week and off during the school holidays. My DH owns his own business and works 3 long days (when I do school run) and two half days (when he does the school run). Both our children have disabilities so cannot attend after school or holidays club and no family support. Luckily we can both still work part time.

Work that pays enough for you to afford childcare.

I work for a university, 20 hours a week 29 weeks a year. Its interesting, a nice atmosphere and very flexible.

How old are your kids OP as that can make a difference (there is a year between my 2 eldest, so when they were v little, it cost a lot for me to work c.£100 per day each child for nursery after tax, so was more to keep my hand in as some days lost money by working). At school age, is financially easier. Flexible working jobs where you can catch up in the evening / job shares / delivery driver / freelance (not sure what your skill areas are) / public sector good for time off in lieu etc / firm maybe willing to eg work a 12 hour day on one day and shorter hours rest of week - depends on type of firm and the work that fits your skill set.

I'm a TA, it's not an easy option right now though and the money is terrible. I'm a single parent so it suits family life and I do genuinely love the job even if I do feel rather undervalued for the effort put in.

It's not so much school hours I'm looking for but realistic childcare hours so I can do most pick ups from childcare

I work for the civil service and they do part time, also term time only so you get a monthly pay averaged out but get all school holidays off. They advertise jobs on civil service jobs, you don’t need to say ahead of time you want part time or term time but you can request this when you get offered the job. Always been flexible & family friendly, I’ve never had to miss an assembly, sports day etc. Pre Covid we worked at home 2 days per week in my team, currently been at home for 12 months, not sure what the future will hold but maybe 3 days at home. It works well around family life, though mine are 16 & 13 now. I’ve never done term time only, so used a combination of annual leave and holiday clubs as have no family nearby to help. I’m relieved I’m over that period now though! I can go to work and leave the kids at home with no worries now

Most office jobs in the NHS (admin, audit, governance etc) as they have good Flexi time working e.g. 7.30 -3.30pm and I have a number of colleagues with term time only contracts. Wage isn't brilliant (band 3 - band 7 depending on role) but great flexibility.

@Itsmemaggie

Work that pays enough for you to afford childcare.

This. I see so many posts with women looking for school hours jobs, which are highly competitive and generally underpaid. If you have other qualifications you'll generally be far better off being open to a part time job with regular hours where you can pay for wraparound care (or get DH to drop off sometimes, even if he can't always), and then cobble together something for holidays between annual leave / holiday club / family / swaps with friends (and as they get older, you could work from home with them there). There are far more options this way, and often a chance to build longer term financial security too.

I used to work in a school and, holidays apart, that wasn't flexible at all. You can't tell the pupils you'll be leaving their class early because you've got to pick your own kids up! Civil service is very family friendly and usually operate flexi-time. They can accommodate home-working too, unless that really wouldn't work for the position. It will normally be quite explicit on the job advert what flexibility there is. Depending on what you've done before, you might find the pay a bit lower.

Or, as other pps have said, get a well-paid full-time job and pay for before/after school clubs.

I work in a term time only education advisory role. I have flexible working hours - so I can generally do drop off and pick up - although I use after school club too - and I do admin in the evenings.

It's taken me a while to get here though, I've done my stint of low paid and under appreciated TA roles etc!

And as for the "said no Dad ever" - Covid especially shone a huge light on that for me as I've had to do all the home learning, while wfh full time, arranging work around kids as no after school club open yet. DH's work are awful - he has been in the office the whole of the pandemic, non negotiable. Don't come in, don't get paid. He's worked there ten years and they've always been like this, it's always been me taking days off when kids were sick as DH has to give 2 weeks notice for any time off.

So yes. Very unequal here. However I bloody love the school holidays so I feel like I win there. I feel especially smug in summer 😆🙈

Civil service office jobs generally have flexible hours and a lot also offer term time working and WFH (even under normal conditions).