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Original poster

There are a lot of threads lately about mums who are happy to give up work and stay at home. But

54 replies

toomuchtodo · 22/05/2007 22:11

I did that too, for 8 years, working about 5 hours a week in retail just to get a break from the house.

BUT what I notice from a lot of posts is mums saying "I'll work again when the lo starts school"

I'm finding it harder/impossible to get a job that

a/ fits in around school times and 13 weeks holidays

b/pays enough to cover the cost of 2 ds's in childcare

so does anyone know the answer???!!!

I haven't a great career, I'm flexible eg. retail/childcare/cleaning etc.

I want to work when my ds's are in school and still be there for them but IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!

school based jobs are like GOLD DUST!!

and if I get a retail job I get £6 per hour and then pay out £6 for my ds's in childcare!

I don't want to work all weekend or evenings, I love seeing my family altogether!

I'm just wondering if all these mums who say "I'll work when the littlies start school" realise how hard it actually is to get working again after a break from it all!

PLEASE tell me any solutions/inspiring stories!!

OP posts:
Original poster
toomuchtodo · 22/05/2007 22:13

please don't anyone turn this into a wohm/sahm fight!!

OP posts:
Original poster
toomuchtodo · 22/05/2007 22:15

no inspiration out there tonight?!

OP posts:
NKF · 22/05/2007 22:17

My impression - for what it's worth - is that you can't have both school hours friendly and school holidays off. If you want to work term time only, you usually can't manage the school run and the afternoon pick up. And if you want part time (three days a week for example) then you won't have the school holidays off. But I hope you will hear of some inspiring exceptions.

handlemecarefully · 22/05/2007 22:20

Err actually I am not intending to find work again when the littlies start school for precisely the reasons you have highlighted...

Bamzooki · 22/05/2007 22:51

What is working for me is that I am a physical therapist - for horses, and soon humans as well. So this means i can schedule appointments to suit me - in between school hours, and light during the holidays. I am very lucky in that both my parents and the IL's are all nearby and are very happy to babysit if I need them to, but when ds starts school full time I hope that I will not really need them.
So, you might need to train for a while, but it is possible!!!

teafortwoandtwofortea · 22/05/2007 23:01

A few people I work with have term time contracts but they are like gold dust and NKF is right - they don't make the school run.

I've started a post recently where I'm part time and when the kids go to school hopefully I'll be able to work the hours around pickups etc but I'll still struggle during the holidays.

Cr*p isn't it?

PeachyClair · 22/05/2007 23:03

Well, i took a year or two out and now I am back studying fro a qualification. I'll be teaching, far more secure than what I did before (charity management- all fixed term contracts)

Have you thought about college?

Obv. don't know what your DP's income is if you have one, but don't forget that tax credits can help with childcare if you qualify.

Gobbledigook · 22/05/2007 23:04

I work freelance from home and I won't be changing that, ever if I can get away with it!

I had to work at a client's office today and I'm also in tomorrow. Despite it being a piece of piss having the whole day with only myself to think about, it's a bloody ball ache being on someone else's clock, going along with someone else's dress code etc etc. F*ck that! I'll stick with my doing things in my own time thanks!

saadia · 22/05/2007 23:04

I know what you mean. I did have a plan to retrain, perhaps as a SALT but then discovered that required competing a FT degree which I won't be able to do. Then thought about studying Journalism - very good course not far from where I live - but that will involve work placements so again difficult.

I would like to return to work once ds2 is in school FT and probably could return to my old job on a fkexible basis but actually have very realistic nightmares about that so probably wouldn't consider it.

So, I'll just have to see what's possible when the time comes.

PeachyClair · 22/05/2007 23:08

ALthough some degrees such as SALt are extremely demanding time wise, it is worth looking at- I do ten hours a week in Uni, the rest I fit in when they're asleep or whatever, and my childcare is apid for (again income assessed) so it works well, and when I finish its one year of slog and I am qualified.

lyrabelacqua · 22/05/2007 23:09

Is it possible that you could do something from home, like setting up an eBay shop or something similar which would allow you to set your own hours?
I know school-hours jobs are hard to come by and you'll be competing for every one with most of the other mums in town.
I'm thinking of trying to find freelance work so I'll be in control of my hours but I'm not sure yet where to find it.

saadia · 22/05/2007 23:10

oh that's interesting Peachy, will definitely look into it further thanks.

lyrabelacqua · 22/05/2007 23:11

What is a SALT?

saadia · 22/05/2007 23:12

Speech and Language Therapist

PeachyClair · 22/05/2007 23:12

The question to sk isn't how many hours a week is it (they ahve to say 40), but how many hours a week in Uni / college- that's where the difference lies.

If you fancy SALT find out which degrees they like people to have and see if you can do something like that- English ones don't tend to be massively Uni based ime, for example.

littlelapinWearsBoden · 22/05/2007 23:14

I'm an IT spod, can work in many industries, and am keeping up to date, taking online courses (finishing up a Masters), making sure my skill set is current.

I'm officially self-employed at the mo (working about, ooh, 20 mins a week ) and will do consultancy if I can't find a job that allows me to do the things you list.

But I realise I am very fortunate in this. I was actually a City analyst but switched to IT so I could travel with DH's job.

lyrabelacqua · 22/05/2007 23:14

Ah, thanks.

saadia · 22/05/2007 23:16

aha, that's very useful.

twinsetandpearls · 22/05/2007 23:18

I teach which is both the best and worst job to have when you have little ones, I waited until dd started school to return to work but agree it is hard to find a job that tick most of your boxes.

Maybe college is the answer.

MrsSnoek · 22/05/2007 23:20

Someone I know used to work in fashion retail before having her babies now works as a freelance stylists ( she helps loaded people to buy their season's wardrobe).

Basically she works when she wants and always around on half term.

Good career choice in my books!

macmama73 · 22/05/2007 23:33

I teach English to small children from baby age to 6/7 years in Germany. I don't work school hols and I am self-employed so can arrange my classes when my children are in kindergarten/school.

Something like that is great, obviously you couldn't teach English in UK, but perhaps there is something else that you could teach. (yoga, baby signing, car maintenance...)

moondog · 22/05/2007 23:37

I'm a salt.
As there are so few of us,we are able to be quite demanding about contracted hours.Lots of my colleagues work term time only and/or leave in time to get the children from school.

I don't however but I do get quite a bit of unpaid leave to go abroad to see dh and i was able to take a three year career break when I had my last child and come back to my old job.

Mercedes · 22/05/2007 23:52

my dp and I have got round this by juggling hours and days. i only work 28 hours. my dp works 31.5.

So on a monday i work from 8-2.15pm my dp takes her to school and i pick her up.
tues - i work at home, pick her up and do more work when she goes to bed.
wed - her dad works at home while i do 9 - 7
thurs i take her to school and a childminder picks her up. i collect her at 5.45
fri - i don't work.

luckily both places are prepared to be flexible. maybe you should look at the public sector.

handlemecarefully · 23/05/2007 00:16

Toomuchtodo -

Innocent and honest question (with no agenda) - do you have to go back to work for financial reasons? If not, why bother?

Fine if you really want to (or must do), but don't be press ganged into complicating your life by some misplaced 'work ethic'....

anniebear · 23/05/2007 07:01

I became an Usborne Organiser when mine were in their last term of pre school

If you have the time, you can really make a go of it and make some good money

Or, you can just do a bit here and there to make a bit of extra money

Some people do have it as a full time job, it's something you can start off small whilst the children are at home and gradually build it up as they get older and go to school

Take a look at my ad in the jobs section titled "work from home selling Childrens Usborne books"

You choose when you want to work, don't have to work school holidays, can pick the children up etc

Other than that there are many other working from home jobs, Avon, Mini IQ,

Obviously Usborne being the best though

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