What would be more important to you as a family?

[hercules1]

Dh currently earns good money working nights but it isnt good fro our family time or his health nor does he particularily like the job - he feel into it. It saves us money on child care and with my wage (also pretty good) we have quite a bit over each month after bills etc to go on nice holidays and have nice things.

But we are considering him giving it up to finish his degree for a year and then going into teaching. It would mean things would be really tight during this time and it would take him years to build up to what he currently earns now. We would also need to use our savings to supplement my wage for us to live on and pay bills etc.
If he did teaching we would have lots of time toghether as a family etc.

WHat do you think?

Definitely happiness over money. Is he quite committed to going into teaching then? That would be my only concern as people can get disillusioned with teaching very quickly.

I think in the long run it will be worth it. From what you are saying (his current job isn't good for his health, you aren't getting much time together as a family) the current situation can't go on for ever. I would be a bit worried about using up savings, but if it seems fairly likely that he will be employed at the end of it (even if he won't be earning much to begin with), I would go for it.

Health.

Forgot to add dd is only 3 so wouldnt be affected by drop in chas but ds is 11 and will notice it! The hard thing is we've struggled to get to where we are now where we dont have to worry about money and it seems we'll be going backwards. That said it would mean i wouldnt have to cook at all!

I'm a teacher so he has an idea and he wouldneed to spend some time in a school first before starting a pgce to check it is for him.

It's scary to start using savings but surely that's what they're for - back up in case your situation changes?!

He can take a career break to study so if things got bad then he could go back to work.

Oh God, I was feeling quite negative about him giving up work nad mentally planning holidays. But the quality time we'd get togheter now and in the future would be priceless.

Gosh, for me it's a no brainer and I think I'd go for the 'tighter' period while your dh studies. Once he is trained he is back earning again so you will be able to see 'light at the end of the tunnel'.

It's great to have the disposable income, it really is, but I would be seriously unhappy if we weren't getting any time together - either with the children or without.

It won't be easy to be suddenly budgeting more than you are used to but I definitely think it sounds like the best path to take for the whole family.

And if his current job isn't good for his health, well that really is the most important thing isn't it?

Teaching is v.stressful though - tbh i saw my dad more than my mum (teacher) in the evenings when i was growing up

Actually we've kind of decided for him to carry on working. IT really would take years for him to earn this much again and he does get to see the kids a lot as he does a lot of looking after but usually when he is tired.

Thanks

ANy more thoughts? We're still debating the merits of both.

Dh is going to go and sign up today for OU . We are going to go for it!