If you have school aged kids and want a part time job - where do you find one?

[Glassofwine]

Following the rather judgemental thread about SAHM's being lazy not getting a job, I though it would be good to find out what options there are. I still have one child at pre-school mornings and one who started school, but only mornings till Christmas, so strictly speaking I don't fit into the catagory. Having said that I'd love a part time job, term time only, within school hours, but really don't thing there are many. What are other people doing?

it is one of the hardest jobs to find! p/t hours can be easily found, but the amount of hols/inset days children have you need (or rather i have had to!) to make sure you have someone to back up the days when you can't take time off.

I'm lucky in that my mum and dad have dd while I work 2 days a week, but if I didn't have them I would look at working on the admin bank of the local hospitals. You can pick and choose when you want to work, so can have all the school holidays off.

Part time teaching

I have school age kids and work part-time but (and I know this is a big but ) originally started full-time and reduced hours.
However some of my colleagues started working part-time so we do take some people on part-time.
This is the Civil Service btw.

i'm lucky enough to have one of these elusive jobs. i work for a health policy think tank, 3 short days a week. ds is in reception, dd goes to nursery 2 days & grandma has her 1 day. i work 3 short days, finishing at 2pm so i can do the school/nursery pick up. it works really well though i'm a bit frazzled from rushing round all the time! when both of them are at school i intend to work 4 short days a week which will give me school holidays off too. ace!

i have only ever worked part time for my present employers. started off with 2.5 days when i just had ds & went down to 2 days after i came back from maternity after having dd. they are super-flexible employers.

I am just about to apply for a job in the canteen at the local hospital. Hours are 10-2, monday to friday, perfect.

Teaching Assistant
Admin work, school office
Dinner Lady (which I started doing this term)

If at your own kids school, all the better. Same holidays, same Inset days

I'd probably look around a couple of temping agencies.

I have an advert on The Jobs section entitled "work from home selling childrens books"

This enables you to choose your own ours and many Mums who do this do actually take their children with them!!!

Take a look

So, I guess it's just as I thought. Southeastastra - I like your idea about admin bank staff, I didn't know it existed. I have a friend who is a bank nurse and it works really well with children etc. so I'll look into that.

Hoxtonchic - you are fortunate, I wish my old job was possible part time.

SaintGeorge - have been looking into school jobs, it does look like a good option too.

anniebear - the one thing I know I'm crap at is selling, so the various selling ideas just won't work for me although I do think that the usborne books one looks great for those who can.

Thanks everyone. It does go to prove that certain posters who think that SAHM's with school aged kids are lazy are talking out of their backsides.

I know what you mean, Im no good at selling either lol

I suppose their are two types of Organisers, One who goes to events and really tries to sell the books, or the other (me lol) who just stands quietly (hard to believe but I can be quiet!) and will help anyone who asks for it

I also get DH to take leaflets and catalogues into work and people order that way

Its how you want to do it I suppose

My 2 girls are in year 1 now, but I got the "are you going to work?.... how about evenings at Asda?"

This was when my DD's (twins) were 4 months old Work??????? I was just about functioning lol lol

And when they are at school you may need before and after school care, 12 weeks holidays, we have hospital appointments for one of my DD's............

it doesn't get easier !!!

and anyone calling you lazy.....maybe they are just a teeny bit jealous

I have been able to go to my DD's Birthday assembly, other special assemblies, any events at school,

had to miss sports day this year as one DD was critically ill, but my Mum went for me instead

Have to be honest, I am lazy as well

I had better shut up, waffling away!!! lol

Friends including me do the following paid jobs part-time, but the main thing has been maintaining a network of work-related colleagues through the non-working months. E.g. voluntary work on committees, which takes very little time but keeps your finger in

• book promotion
• editorial assistant for local paper
• freelance writing (for parenting magazines)
• database managing
• fundraising for charities
• clerk for school governors
• vulnerable adults' assistant
• holistic helper at therapy project
• making websites (that one's me)

To be honest I am in a fairly rural location and a LOT of jobs - especially charity jobs - are part time. The NHS is also extremely flexible - the local hospital bank is ALWAYS looking for really good administrators who can work ad hoc hours.

morningpaper's websites are very good too! (I was seriously impressed).

I had this problem- want to work- for financial and mental health () reasons. But know I am stuck at home for ever (ds1 severely autistic, no chance of after school/holiday clubs), so have been doing some freelance work and am now in process of setting up 2 businesses (one's just the freelance stuff, one I won a business competition for so am getting lots of free advice, but I need to freelance until that one pays )

I work 20 hours a week as a teaching assistant. The school is 5 minutes away so it is perfect.

I don't know, I went back into teaching part time thinking that would be the answer - it is on the days that I don't work so I can drop dd off and pick her up at the end of they day. ON my non teaching days I work for a children's charity providing early years provision which works really well with kids at school but they pay is very low.

On teaching days my day is just too long to combine with dd school day, two days I take dd to breakfast club so I can be at work for just after eight pick her up from after school club at half five. My Mum has her one day a week so I can do my long day which is a Wednesaday, dd sleeps over the night before so I can be inwork for six and IO then stay in school until about 7pm. Dp collects dd from my mum at about half five. Teaching assistants seem to have more of a home work balance than teachers to be hoenst but gaain pay isn;t great and in mnay schools you only get paid in term time.

At least working in a school I am not paying out for childcarein the holidays - as long as the holidays collide.

To be honest if I didn't love my job as much as I do I woudl probably not work while dd is at primary school.

If I get in at 6 and do one twelve hour day I don't need to work weekends.

I think I work in a very hard working school cars start arriving in the car park at half six, from about half seven you struggle to get a parking space.

I think it is beacause we run so many after school clubs and support sessions that much of our wokr is done before school.

I work 4 hours a day currently 8.30-12.30, when DS starts school I will change hours to fit in with his school hours.

The only problem I will have is holidays so DS will go to holiday club for some of the time.

I found my job (purchasing) through a local employment agency, and was replacing someone who worked hours to fit round school, but my employer (private sector) had no problem me adapting the hours to fit round nursery sessions now and change later.