Anyone returned to work after several years as a sahm???

[Pinions]

Am seriously thinking of quitting my job as I hate hate hate it. It makes me a miserable person and therefore a miserable mother. My main concern is returning to work once both dc at school - and how hard it would/n't be.

I work in customer services and have been employed for the same company for 8 years. I have always worked in the sales/customer service field.

I currently have 4 yr old and 1 yr old, which I would argue are a full time job in themselves.

So - answers on a postcard - am I going to be left on the shelf jobwise, or am I worrying about nothing?

I stopped work when I had dd1 and returned when ds (my third dc) started school. I was a sahm for 8 years. I didn't go back to the same job or even the same industry, but to be fair that's because it's not in the least family friendly. I had to re-train for something new.

So no I wasn't left of the shelf job-wise, but I did have to re-think.

Do you work part-time and if not is this an option?

I didnt work for 7 years, I think in customer service you will be able to find something no problem, I went from a corporate environment to now working in a shop, my choice, the more pressured the job the less energy I have for the kids. I have 3dc the youngest is 4, and I work 2/3 days a week.

Agree, part-time can be a winner.

I went down to two days a week spread over three six months after I had DS1 (now 4) and then down to one day a week when I went back a year after DS2 (now 2) plus a bit of overtime worked from home sometimes.

Right now I feel two days straight would probably be ideal, but the one day keeps me on an even keel.

I imagine it will be a bit easier to work full time again having done this than if I had been a full time sahm.

I know - it's just targets/reviews/updates/meetings blah blah blah and I can say with my hand on my heart I am just not interested, but go do a good job of going through the motions iyswim. I wouldn't choose to work in the same environment again tbh. The more pressured the job the less energy for kids I can totally recognise .

The only good thing that I can say really is that my employers are totally family friendly when it comes to setting your hours, so I could have pretty much any hours I chose, or pick term-time working and have all the annual school holidays off . I don't know what to do.......

Scanner - returning to work after 8 years being at home, I bet that was a shock to the system ??

Forgot to say I work Mon/Tues/Wed evening 5-9 - 12 hours per week - but find it utterly exhausting , especially when 1 year old does not sleep at night and/or is ill.

I would say that if you think you want to stay working in the same field it would be worth trying to stay on part time. It is far easier to get flexible hours from an existing employer than a new one.

I have been a sahm for 7 years now and am looking to go back to work part-time in the near future... I have resigned myself to the likelihood that I will be overqualified for most jobs I can find that fit around school hours and the pay will be miniscule. It is very unlikely I could go back to my old career on a part-time basis.

Don't particularly want to stay in the same field, and would resign myself to taking pretty much any job going once I returned to work.

Have also heard that "good" part-time jobs are almost non-existant and any career type job would most definitely be full time which is a bit worrying.