Work. Do you? Or is it just impossible?

[geekgirl]

I keep fantasising about having a proper job. We don't have any family support whatsoever, live in the countryside and have three children so I've been a sahm ever since dd1 was born. I do some freelance stuff from home but to be honest I really hate it.

I did a law degree pre-children and still really like law. I've recently become a magistrate and loved the training sessions, so have been - yet again - looking at postgrad law courses (which I'd need to do as my degree is too old to be a valid law degree).

I am not terribly career-minded and would really be very happy with a p/t public sector job, but I am starting to wonder whether there is any point in shelling out £6K for a course if the logistics of work and having a child with SN turn out to be insurmountable....
Dd2 is a little poppet and totally amenable and easy-going, but she will always be vulnerable and even at secondary school age will need to be picked up from school (or met at the bus stop) - really I think I've got a long, long time to go (like, 10 years at least) before I could consider leaving dd2 unsupervised - and even then I could hardly leave her for hours.
I've tried to find someone to help out in the past with no success (I got direct payments - had to pay it all back). All my friends who work have extensive family support I'm not sure whether there's any point in spending money on a qualification I may well not be able to put to any use...

Really? Oh that would be interesting. I am planning to analyse some video of ds1 doing some riding on a friend's horse for my current work. The feedback might be of interest to them.

It would be of interest, yes. Some 18% of their riders are now ASD and they're keen to formalise what they know and look at really good practice for all parts of the spectrum.

Work part time in admin, nhs (very boring) but it's good fun, at times, and during school time is pretty much ok, childminding wise - I collect the kids from school and am at home then. Also do a course on a Wednesday all day and am out on placement for this on a Monday and Saturday. DP works shifts so we try and muddle along with childcare - my mum will help but it can be a bit of a nightmare at times!

ah yes TC that is what's always totally put me off private sector law, I do know exactly what you mean and it's so not me. What I've seen so far in the public sector looks a lot better, but of course there is a lot of competition and getting your foot on the ladder when you need all kinds of flexible arrangements is probably extremely difficult.
How did you all get those NHS admin jobs?!

admin jobs - they're not fussy geekgirl!!

If it helps, here is my list of friends/acquaintances who have gone back to work (with or without sn children. This doesn't include mums who went back to their original jobs!)

-3 mums I know have gone back to work as support for learning assistants, supporting children with sn in the classroom. All began by volunteering at the local school before doing the qualification at local college
-2 retrained as teachers
-1 went to work as a legal trainer (old job - lawyer but path to training took her via tutoring at Uni)
-1 works in government education dept now, having done voluntary work at playschemes for sn kids then local authority partnership stuff, liaising between authority and sn parents
-1 secured european funding for her own job -a fixed 3 year project in admin- before moving on to another admin job (this really impressed me!)
-1 has set herself up as an environmental lobbyist and gets paid to do this (she was in sales before so is a very persuasive person!)

It's worth asking yourselves how many of the appts. are really necessary though.
No law to say you have to do everything and see everyone.

Sometimes the benefits are outweighed by the efforts and uphaeval attaending entails.

I occasionally wonder about what I might do...DS is still little, won't start school until Sept 2010. Unfortunately, I have to drive DD to 3 appts a week (that's how it works here, I'm afraid or, at least, that's how it works if you're picky about who your child sees and insist on the ones who actually have exp. in what your child actually has...and I want to keep her in mainstream for as long as pos. rather than special with attached SALT)
What I really fancy is something completely different. Have been considering studying animal care, but no idea if that could ever lead to part-time/flexible work. What I probably SHOULD do is web development but I'm so tired of being a techy and don't fancy setting up on my own, having to drum up business. Still, I find I'm increasingly "justifying" to people why I'm at home because I don't necessarily like to tell everyone about DD's SN.

I start back on Monday after a years maternity leave.

Part of me is looking forward to a whole lunch hour to myself twice a week.
The other part doesn't want to go.

I'm comfy at home looking after my girls but I also like money and the ability to buy food!

I actually asked to go back to something a little less intense - i doubt my brain could cope with anything too complex to start with - it's always full of stuff related to DD2 (and the mental shopping list!)

Geekgirl if i had a choice of jobs - i'd train as a falconer.

bsac15 xx