Work with a 3 month old and a 2 year old

[blossom27]

So I’ve been unemployed for a couple years and I honestly just can’t afford it anymore. Partner works full time and it still doesn’t cut it. I’m sick of being skint!!!!! Is now too early to go back to work even though I have a 3 month old?

Will you get free child care from family/DP or will it be nursery?

Yeah as pp mentioned, it may depend on whether your salary would be wiped out by childcare costs.

Obv every parent has the right to do what’s best for them, but my DD is nearly 3 months and I wouldn’t put her in a nursery this young. Do you have family that can help?

You may find a lot of nurseries won't take a baby that young.

These are NOT intented as loaded questions but just getting an idea of the situation:

Do you live with your partner and share finances?
What was the original plan for the 3 month old when you were pregnant - if money wasn't an issue was that plan what you wanted?

And would weekend work be possible while partner looks after the children?

What about childcare? Ours is £2400 part time, but even working full time I don’t take home enough.

Do you have someone in the family who could look after the kids while you work for a few hours?

I think that's probably the only way around it. Where I live, I was paying around £200 a month for 1 day a week at nursery. So for both kids, you're talking around £400 a month just for the one day.

If you can get free childcare off a family member then I would go for it.

Really? Most round my way take them from 6 weeks.

What's your profession?

Do you have a career to go back into that will pay more than the childcare bills?

If not, what about working some evenings and weekends if that's the time your partner is home to be with the kids.

Do you have access to the money he earns?

Financially it didn’t make sense for both of us to go back to work for the first 2 years. One of our salaries would’ve gone straight to cover childcare- nursery for youngest and wraparound care for oldest.

Honestly the price of childcare is the reason we’re not having a third. It’s so hard to find a spot AND the cost of it is insane.

Most nurseries around here take babies from three months, but it’s unusual. I’d say most babies start between nine and twelve months.

I don’t know of any nurseries that won’t take babies that young. Usually they start at 6 weeks. We had plenty of 8 week old babies when I used to do nursery work.

I went back to work when DS was 8 weeks old, but I was remote, and self employed, so it was really working on my computer while DH looks after DS, or sometimes I had him in the carrier. It wasn’t easy. I went back to on location projects when he was 5 months, and he and DH came with me.

I’ve got a two year old now, and if we have another, I’m not sure how we’ll arrange childcare. Your baby will be entitled to 15 hours free from September, I think, and your two year old from April, so that might help a bit… that works out at 11 hours a week for my two year old, so he’ll cost us circa £350 a month for two days in nursery. So I’d be looking at about £700 a month for both to be in for two days, minus 5% for the sibling discount. Thats not horrific, but you’ve still got to find childcare for the other three days a week… full time would be about £1200 each. All sums include tax free childcare and funded hours. 4 days isn’t much cheaper as you get a discount for 5 days.

Hi everyone, DD 2 is at nursery but my 3 month old I don’t need to put her in nursery, as I’m lucky enough to have childcare at home- I’m very lucky in the sense me and my partner would rotate shifts so he is here with them as he is very hands on:) I also have family who are happy to help if needed.

also financially my partner brings home a good amount for our family and yes I have access to his finances too, but with the rent rises and cost of living etc it’s just costing too much and we’re left with nothing at the end of each pay day. I work in care so shifts are very flexible, and I would only be working half shifts a day anyway if I thought it was for the best

I also agree with PP’s that if I had to pay childcare there wouldn’t be any point me going back to work because the prices are insane!