Start full time job on Wed . Any advice welcome pls to make it work .

[Tinkerbellx]

So I've been a lone parent for almost 5 years . Feel in a fairly good place now .
I have a house to maintain and 2 dependant children ( 15 and 8).
I've a great partner ( 21 months ) but he lives 30 miles away so we have a Wed date night ( aka dinner and sleep ) and the weekends . Yes we plan on living together and will probably sell our homes towards the end of the year but it's not on the cards right now as we're both too busy !

I have no family support and no support from their father during the week . He has more recently had them overnight one night a fortnight which has been lovely .

So far I've worked part time and working full time I'll be a little better off financially but not much in the grand scheme as I'll lose any tax credits and lose the extra money in fuel / childcare ect
The other issue is it takes me 90 mins each way to do the school run and get to work .
I'm not prepared to move either of the dc schools right now but will have a window to do this when they both have to move anyway in about 3 years .

So why on earth am I going full time ? .
Well it's my dream job and it's only for 12 months initially .
Because I wanted this promotion I've been working all hours in all departments to up my portfolio just in case . I've been on so many courses ect and basically been a Jack of all trades Master of none for a couple of years .
I can now concentrate on this one job which will challenge me yet excite me . Its a little flexible , I'll be more or less my own boss and I'll be happier .
Honestly I can say I haven't juggled or managed my life particularly well prior working just part time so that's why I worry about going full time .
Everyone thinks the opposite because they don't see what I do .
I never have time to do homework with dd and am always doing house jobs / DIY / paying bills / car service / doctors ect at the weekend . So how on earth can I make working full time work and more importantly work better ?
I have a cleaner once a fortnight and I've asked her to come weekly .
I like to cook from scratch but need to be better organised .
I'm just really worried either my children or relationship with partner might suffer . My partner is very understanding and supports this move but also has a demanding job himself .
I know I need to change my self care habits and make time to do some exercise ( when ! ) and refrain from drinking wine on week nights which I do far too much ( then I'm not organised ) .
I need to go to bed and actually go to sleep at a reasonable time instead of reading until 1am .
Any tips from other mums working full time and driving miles every day would be gratefully received .
I think I know what I need to do but am nervous 😬
Just be nice to hear from others doing similar please ?

Just give it a go and see how it pans out. If it doesn't work out then you can make changes.

It's not going to be easy that's for sure. Don't be hard on yourself and don't worry if things slip. Be selfish sometimes and dint be too guilty re the children.

I did it but not alone and couldn't have done it without the support of my husband.

You sound very determined and organised and I wish you luck.

Re the cooking from scratch, double up on anything that will reheat well. So fe, bolognaise/chilli/casserole etc make double and freeze in single portions. Stir fry/salads for warmer weather chop/wash double and put half in a sealed pot in the fridge.

GP and dentist appointments, book dentist 6 months in advance and sort it for annual leave/school holiday. Same if you need optician appointments.

The other things, have a look at The Organised Mum Method on Youtube. And don’t take it that you must do exactly everything that she does. Schedule the wine for the weekend, but not Sunday night. Basically not on a school night. If you have a smartphone set Bedtime. On the iPhone it’s in the clock feature, it pings just before the set time and puts calls/notifications on silent.

Other than that just see how it goes, it sounds like a good opportunity. Good luck.

Your children are old enough to be helping with jobs. I'm struggling to see how you currently can't get anything done when your children are these ages they aren't babies who need your full attention