The price of working for a living

[couldntgiveahashtag]

Am I the only person in the whole wide world thinking what is the point in working after paying out for nursery and after school clubs each month?! Sat down and worked out I earn less than 450 pounds a month for working 22.5 a week!!!! Literally half my salary is to pay for a stranger to look after my children! I can't be the only person who just wants to quit and say I'm done adulting!

I want to be an example, I want an active mind, I want to be able to talk to someone who is older than six

But at what cost?! And am I the only person who feels like this?!

Until my youngest was 4 I worked a couple of nights a week in a nursing home and earned £600 a month which was entirely mine and I looked after my own children. The money was shit, the career prospects were shitter but I enjoyed the work and I was there to pick my kids up from school every day. I didn't have to pay anyone to do what I wanted to do - be with my children.

I work full time again now, unrelated job but average money and I'm happy I did it that way. I'm not sure my career would have been any different if I'd worked straight through their baby and pre school years but I'm 100% I'd have regretted doing it.

I became a lone parent with two children under 5 and thank GOD I'd stayed in my decently-paid job. Because I could go full time and although it's hard work, I know if it comes to it I could support my family single-handedly - I get maintenance and a small amount of TC but we could love quite nicely without them - and not everyone has this chance. I'd be absolutely kicking myself if I was further down the pay scale for taking time out, or if I'd missed out on a good job due to lack of recent experience.

OP that amount of money seems good! DP initially went to work for £30 a week. But it was for his own personal development.

Even if your childcare fees for one child are a nonimal £30 a day that means you are earning close to £200 a week for 22.5 hours. If you quit your job could you go back in at the same level in a few years time?

I think it's a shame that the myth still persists among a small minority that mums who work don't enjoy being with their children quite as much as those who stay at home. It's nonsense, of course. Doing more than one thing in your life doesn't mean the enjoyment of them is diluted!

I do think op could have phrased it better about working setting a good example as it does implie sahm doesn't.

also completely agree with everything gillybeanz has said you hit the nail on the head there.

gincamelbak
I never hear people say "I work for £50 a week once you've taken off the gas bill and sky bill", it's only childcare that people seem to do this.

Well people could stay at home and look after their children themselves. They probably couldn't generate their own Internet service or energy. I guess that's the difference.

Personally I'm going back 3 days a week and will clear about £800 as I only need a nursery one day a week. If I went back full time and paid for nursery 3-4 days a week I would only be earning around £200 more. Not worth it for two extra days in my awful job.

I see it as they're only little for a few years so I can make do with missing out on those 2-3 years' of earnings. My job is easy to fall back into though so it's not been a difficult decision for me.

Completely agree Babbity. It's frustrating when people imply that mums go back to work because they "can't cope" with being at home with the kids or they somehow don't care as much as SAHPs. It's total bollocks.

I'm due to return to work from mat leave next month- doing a 3 day week. Nursery is £600 per month and my train ticket to work is £550. Really depressing. And I have an hour and a half commute each way. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick.
Seeing some of the comments that it is helpful to keep a hand in are making me feel a bit better. I have a job that I can't really do outside of London, and DP has a job at prestigious uni that is not in London. I will probably leave my profession after baby #2 as even the thought of leaving before baby wakes and getting home after baby is asleep breaks my heart. Even if it's only a few days a week.
It's not fun having to make these choices...