I'm at a complete crossroads with my life. I've been a SAHM for nearly 6 years after having our first child, we have 3 children, 5yo, 4yo and 1yo. Youngest has just started at nursery in the last week, for two days 9-3, partly because she is really clingy and partly because I'm studying with the Open University and occasionally help out my husband with paperwork for his business. I feel completely lost!
It feels like now is a good time to return to work but I don't know where to start. I have no qualifications, good GCSE's but left school after that, trained to be a nurse and quit 6 months before qualifying (young, very stupid but not something that I would have wanted as a career). Had a series of admin/customer service jobs up until having the kids. I began studying towards a degree with the OU about 4 years ago and have been doing that part-time, originally starting off in business but found it really dry and lacked motivation so swapped to an Open degree (which basically means I can pick whatever modules I want in whatever areas). Current module is child psychology, I am about half way through my degree.
I'm really not sure what I want to do with my life! I feel that I may want to go into working with young children/families, thinking maybe starting in a nursery with the intention of progressing into family support type roles. I'm not really sure where to start with this or if its even a passing phase as childcare is pretty much all I've done for the past 6 years. I'm also torn thinking that maybe I'll be better off going back to admin/customer service type roles, playing it safe really as I never felt it gave me much satisfaction but I know what's involved at least.
I'm so scared about returning to work, whatever type for loads of reasons and there's so much to consider. We don't have family that can help with childcare, my husband is self-employed whilst he is pretty flexible with his hours there is only him so he still has to do a certain amount of work to earn wages and can only take so much time off, so childcare cost is on our minds. I lack confidence anyway, not working for so long has not helped, I'm dreading the rejections from potential employers. 6 years is a long time to be out of work and I don't know how to complete an application form making it look positive or at least without making the gap look so obvious. Do I put my previous job down as my current one? Can I try putting SAHM down as a job with it looking crap?
Can anyone give me any advice about getting back into work after having such a long time out?