Dilemma - help me decide if I should get a job not working from home!

[Caligula]

I work 16 hours a week from home and am thinking of applying for new jobs, for 2 reasons:

1. I'm so bored of my job.

2. I'm so poor.

However, I do know that I may be suffering grass is greener syndrome, so would appreciate some opinions.

The job I've got at the moment is way below my skills level, doesn't challenge me and I really have to force myself to do it every day. Added to this, it's very isolated and I sometimes feel that I've got the worst of all worlds, being a SAHM with the isolation and lack of status that that can sometimes imply, but without the freedom to dispose of my time as I see fit, because I have to spend my time at home doing this boring job (when I'm not arsing about on Mumsnet!) Added to which, I have just enough money to cover the running costs of the house, but whenever I need something new, like shoes or a blender, it has to come out of the £50 food budget for the week. When it's MOT time, it's a disaster. And I have credit card debts which are taking forever to pay (on interest free credit of course!)

OTOH, during school holidays, when I'm ill (like today), when the kids are ill, there is no hassle - I just work the hours I want, they go off to my mum's, I build up flexitime, etc.

But I'm just so bored and poor. How do other lone mothers work outside the home? What do you do when your kids are ill? What do you do for childcare? Are you totally stressed out and hassled all the time? (I was watching DS eat the other day and kept on having to tell him to use his knife and fork, eat with his mouth closed etc., and it did occur to me that if I worked a 40 hour week, I wouldn't have the energy to do that - he could eat from a trough for all I would care!) How do you get the energy levels you need to keep the place clean, get the kids to school on time and not become a raging alcoholic or speed-addict to keep you going?

Sorry it's so long, but there's lots to think about! Any contributions welcome!

can't offer any advice I'm afraid but unless you're very, very lucky I think most people feel all those things at some point.

that wasn't much help was it?

No it wasn't!

So should I get a new job then, or stop whingeing?

Caligula - how old are your children (I should know that - sorry!). Is the work at home convenient while they are small so you could look to go out to work when they are a bit older?

Do you know you could earn a lot more if you worked outside the home and would it fit with school hours etc? If you could easily get a job that paid more and you'd be happier out and about meeting people then go for it.

I know what you mean about the work being a bit boring - mine is not deathly boring but it is below my skills level too and I'd be a Director by now if I'd stayed with the company as a full time employee - earning a packet and being in my element bossing everyone about

However, like you say, working from home really does come into its own when you or the children are ill - you can do the school run (painful as it it!), you can go to appts when you need to etc and tbh that's what keeps me going. Although, I have got dh and that probably makes an enormous difference.

I'm not sure that going out to work would have you more tired? Most Mums I know that go out to work find that working is like a break! The other week I had to go into a clients office to work for the day and I was full of beans when I got home - not so when I've been in all day - I'm ready to kill them by tea time!

Hmm. That's a point. Perhaps being in the office would be less tiring. But it's the hours I suppose - the thought of rushing home for 6 o'clock, far too late for them, and having to do homework etc.

Part of my thinking was that if I was out of the house, cleaning up etc. would be much less tiring.

DS is 6 and DD is 3 and a half - she'll be starting school in September. Maybe I should hang on till then, but it's just that 3 jobs I could do have come up now, and won't come up for at least another couple of years, maybe 3 or 4 years. But they wouldn't necessarily fit in with school hours (they're all full time) but I could possibly negotiate some working from home, job-share etc.

You definitely need opinions from single mums who work to get an idea of how they manage don't you?

Could you not apply for the jobs anyway and see what happens? You can be thinking about it throughout the process and you wouldn't be obliged to take the job if you were offered it. Perhaps even an offer, or not, will confirm whether you really want to do it or not iyswim.

I must admit - despite possibly being less tired and having less mess on return from a full days work (but I don't know because I've not done it) I wouldn't like to be trying to do tea, baths, homework at that time of night - I think I'd personally find that really stressful. It definitely works for me that I can get tea done at a reasonable time and that if I need to shop or something I can do it during the day.

Hmm yes. Maybe I'll post this under lone parents.

Or maybe I just need to move house?

Hi

What do you do from home, can you not make it more exciting.
Home jobs are really hard to come by, make sure you really want to give it up.

Hi would you be interested in looking at other options you could do from home, along side what you do now?
I work from home, but have the ability to still meet with people and attend meetings and trainings. I work part-time round my 2 dd's, but also have the ability to earn excellent money.
I'm always looking for like minded people who are open to looking at a new idea.
Look at all your options before you make any decisions- if want any info my email is [email protected]
If it's not for you that's ok, at least you know what else is out there.
Hope this helps

What sort of work MissD?

Hi Caligula,

It's quite difficult to explain, but I work with a dynamic company with a 27 year record. We're in the Health, Nutrition and Lifestyle market, which is a booming industry at the moment.
I have a website www.life4living.org.uk
take a look, if you want more info great, if not no problem