What is your job/career? And how many hours do you do a week?

[lunavix]

And did you start off with those hours or full time and dropped down post-kids?

Oh and only 4 days a week.

I am very concerned about going back to work as I am a manager and I really don't think I am going to have the enthusiasm any more. I was just starting to get it back when DS turned 3 but going back with DD being just under 1 is a horrible idea. Any tips on how to separate work from home????

I find it surprisingly easy which I never thought would be the case UCM.

ikwym - I've seriously lost my motivation now I have two. I feel like I'm going thro the motions, tbh but strangely not sure that anyone's noticed the difference! I'm therefore hoping I can stick it out till my youngest is a bit older and that then somehow life will get a little easier and I should then have more energy for work.

I just remember going back to work after DS and two members of staff were having an 'ishoo' with each other, I was refereeing this when I had a call saying DS was poorly. I wanted to bang their heads together and tell them to fuck off as I had a sick child. I obviously didn't but things like that were hard to deal with as my priorities were elsewhere IYKWIM.

moondog - a friend's looking at training to be a salt. Do you love it?

Did you do the degree? She can't decide whether to do it or to do a different degree and do the post-grad training in case she changes her mind.

Is it true there's a shortage? How's the pay, and is there flexibility in hours? She want's to start ttc in a few years...

sorry moondog

your post answered two of those questions!

Regardless of troll or not, I can see Xenia's point - although definately phrased wrong.

Mother to 3.5 DC's - hours: 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! Pay: mani/pedi once a week, visit to hairdresser once a week, massage once a week - not bad really.

by the way - I would LOVE to go back to work, I haven't worked since I left University!! In a nice way, not a scrounging off the state kind of way.....

Work 4 days/week for one of the big accountancy firms. They are excellent with the whole women/diversity/flexible working thing. Dh works from home 2 days/week and I also have excellent family support with childcare - this means I don't always have to rush off at 5pm on the dot and don't have to play the working mum card very often.

Dottydot, when I said Xenia was talking crap I was referring to her comment that by working part time i am failing my children. They seem happy enough to me. she can work full time if that's what suits her but she cannot say I'm failing my children by not doing the same and expect people not to say something back.

Hi Luna.
Pay isn't bad at all.
I did French/Linguistics degree then trained as p'g a few years later.
Either way is fine.
Couldn't imagine doing anything else.

30 hours a week for a food manufacturer in IT - specialising in e-commerce (amongst other things). 2 days at home, 3 days in the office. Plus quite a few hours in the evenings and weekends when things go t*ts up.

16 hours per week accounts payable clerk

22.5 hours in the NHS

I work PT as a learning and skills advisor within a prison. I work 17.5 hours (0.5 contract) a week, spread over three days.

I moved to that job Easter 2005, when DD was 3yo. Before that I was a secondary school teacher. Before DD was born I worked FT. Afer she was born I returned to 3 full days (0.6 contract.)

Message withdrawn

Have stayed at home fostering for 11 years, then done part time eves in a leisure centre. Have just joined police, full time 40 hours per week.

NHS Support Worker for Adults with learning disabilities. 37.5 hours a week, but it's done over 3 shifts.
No kids yet, maternity leave will start in a few weeks but when I go back I'll have to keep working full-time as DP doesn't work, he'll be looking after the kid.
Going back full-time will be really hard, I'm beginning to dread it already, but I'm so grateful it's over 3 days. I couldn't work Mon-Fri, 9-5 anymore, it'd drive me nuts!

Yes bloss. Been doing it about 2 years now and I still find it fascinating. The hole IAG in prisons is about to kick off big style this year and there are going to be loads of openings both inside and out of prisons, working with offenders in this field. I have just started a Level 4 qualification in IAG and this will be the key for anyone interested in this type of work.

UCM - the only way I coped with it when I first went back after having ds2, was to be really strict about keeping office hours. I told my boss which train I had to get home, and that was it - I'd leave meetings if necessary, but usually make sure I didn't book anything after 3.30pm so I knew I'd be on the 4.30pm train home. 3 years later things have slipped somewhat, but I managed to keep to strict office hours for a couple of years. Extra work is more often than not done when they're in bed, and again, my boss knows not to contact me and that I won't be doing anything until after 7.30pm.

currently 50 (not including travel, which would add about another 7 or 8)

modern apprenticeship assessor for retail/management etc. used to work 37 hours but will be going back in july to do 18hrs. i'd rather not but figured that i want to keep my toe in the water so i can progress when dd starts scoohl etc.
bored of my job now and would love to do something like yours hulababy or bilblio!

school!

I used to work with children with behavioural issues, that had been expelled from school. When had DD tried going back but couldnt do it, so took 2 days a week with SS. When DD turned 3 and started nursery upped to 4 days still with SS but working with families in real trouble.
When baby comes will give up and do evening work

Lisa