Do you think there comes a point where you're just unemployable/too old for this shit ?

[Mosman]

I landed my dream job or so I thought, brilliant company nice people etc.
After less than 2 months the cracks are showing, the CEO has shown her true colours. The MD likes me but I suspect he will sell out and who could blame him it'll be an up hill battle.

I've got to the point after 5 years of self employment, 2 years back in a shit job where I just keep thinking is it worth the heartache of juggling 4 DC's, all the stress and strain it adds to everyones life for what amounts to £20,000 after tax.
We wouldn't starve without it but life would be difficult.
How do you keep going against the tide, is it the bigger picture, the long term gains v's short term pain.
Somebody tell me it's worth it please ?

I guess you have to work out what you're getting/need to get from work

• money
• satisfaction
• pension/future security
• interesting people

Etc.....

Since you mentioned age--how old is "too old"? Personally, I think you do get to a point when the hassle is too much unless you earn major money. However, there are other reasons for working such as job satisfaction. Doesn't sound like you have that, though.

I've never loved the job, fell into it, it pays well have dabbled with other professions and come to the conclusion that it's working I don't like rather than any particular problem with the job itself or maybe it's working for other people.
When self employed I was really motivated, performed better than in any corporate role. The timing in the market is wrong for SE though and various other factors.
Am just fed up, Sunday blues and all that i'm sure.

How old are you?

I think people are less likely to suffer fools gladly as they age. Also, people can be more inclined to realise life is about more than work, and that no one should stay in a situation where they are being treated badly.

Reading between the lines, seems you were most happy being self employed. Can you elaborate on why you think the market won't support that now? Even if you don't earn what you do now, you'll earn something - which presumably would be better than going from £20k after tax to zero.

A new job is hard, especially having been self employed for so long.

You've only been there a few weeks, maybe set yourself a target, then if you are still not happy, quit

This is true, i'm 37 but I felt this way at 17 and before DC's if I'm honest.
We've had a death in the family, emigrated, just a few stressful things happen over the past 12 months that have made me want to crawl under a rock and stay there but at the same time I seem to have found myself in the biggest job i've had to date with lots of trust and faith being put in me too.
I think I would earn more than £20,000 but it's a gamble and that brings it's own stresses too I guess.

I think it depends on the age / stage of your children too.
I'm finding working MUCH easier now than I did 10 yrs ago, because the dc are less reliant on me actually picking them up from places / taking them places.... they all have their own keys and can be in the house on their own if I'm not back or have to leave before them. Just saying, I don't think it's to do with your age as much as the pressure on you to 'get it right' at work, and also be there for your children.

Mine are 12,10,8 and 2
Their behaviour is abysmal right now, can't help thinking there's a link too.

Mine are 12,10,8 and 2
Their behaviour is abysmal right now, can't help thinking there's a link too.

well mine are 7 and 9 and they need me at home now more than ever.
when they were pre-schoolers i was working and the childcare filled in for me
suddenly you can't get child cover to replace you as effectively, well in my case anyway.
can't imagine working unless i have to. i would have to earn a lot to make it worth the added stress. saying that i have been SE before and am focusing on building it up again, i don't want to answer to anyone.

Trouble is, without working, what will you live on?

I've been working now for over 30 years with literally a couple of months off for each DC, and I would LOVE to go on a world tour or something, but I'm too busy working to meet our commitments. It's a prison you get yourself into, because you get used to certain things, so have to keep making the sacrifices to keep them.

I agree with amid - I felt my DC needed me more when they were older than when they were babies. Fortunately, being self-employed, I was able to be flexible up to a point.

At 37, you have at least 2 decades of working life ahead of you. I would keep my hand in, whether SE or in employment, just to keep my skills up-to-date and have the option of working.

If anything, think of your pension.

agree teenagers and pre teens need you there more than littlies

op you are only 37 (and making me feel ancient..) dont feel bad,you just sound tired

We had friends round for dinner last night whose three children (16, 14 and 10) are up the creek - drugs/expulsion/not working/hospitalised for depression etc etc. The parents know it's because they haven't been there enough for them.

jesus bonsoir!

My pension is the reason I'm dragging myself out of bed at 6am tbh
I am knackered. I guess it's nearly Christmas hopefully the break will do me good and renew my enthusiasm.

Just to clarify we are both home every night I only work 8.30 til 5 and that's killing me, I don't know how others manage any more hours I really don't

Mosman, you have 4 dcs, including a 2 year old. I am amazed you manage to fit the hours in that you do. If you finish at 5, your dcs will see only marginally less of your school age children than if you were at home. So I don't really see the benefit to your dcs if you do quit.

Except of course there will be less pressure on you because you will have more time to supervise homework, fit in household chores and admin when the dcs are at school, if your 2 year old allows.

Do you have a partner who can help out? You should not have to bear the burden alone.

I think it is a good idea to revisit after you have had a break.

Is there not the 'in between' option of going part time ?
Still earning. Perhaps more important at this stage - still keeping up to date with work skills / knowledge / current experience. Still able to access training or meetings to keep your skills up to date, but not doing the full working week (however you negotiate the part-timeness of it), gives you a better work / life balance.

I think there might have been 12 months ago but the new CEO is a 37 year old childless single woman who has better care for her dog in place than I have for my kids.
I think I'll wait until I've passed my probation period and then have a chat I get the impression part time would be the kiss of death though in this role.

In terms of reducing childcare costs so it's a bit more worthwhile, would three whole days be better ?

if it's future provision then definitely give this job up and go back to your SE work. Why do you want to bust yourself for £20k for a job like that?

with 4 kids of that age why you're making yours (and everyone else's?) life so difficult i don't know if you don't need the money month on month to get by.

What I'm left with after childcare is less than £11,000 which is less than a months self employed work its just having the confidence to take the plunge I guess.

I'd just go back to SE. If you earned more in a month than you do in a year. It sounds like it was going very well.

Why did you go back to employment?

We emigrated and I hoped that the job would give me permanent residence but I don't think it makes much difference as DH can get all that without me working. Plus I bought into the company and the person is be reporting to but the truth is he is cow tailing to the bitchy CEO, who to be fair today was actually quite nice.
I suppose I'm worried that the market is quite slow at the moment and my contacts aren't that established yet. It's all timing isn't ?